I could love you
by SalvatoreQuinn
Summary: 'Get your ass out the door before I throw you over my shoulder & carry you out myself.' Damon, 29, needs to pick up a drunk Elena, 18, as a favor to his father's business partner & nothing will ever be the same again. 'She'd never even crossed his mind - until that day.' AN: M-RATED FOR A REASON. AU/AH. AGE DIFFERENCE.
1. Chapter 1

**AN;** This is the rewritten version of Love Me. Enjoy!

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 **Saturday, October 14, 2009**

29-year-old Damon Salvatore was sprawled out on his sofa - while Die Hard with Bruce Willis was playing in his DVD, the sound of distant voices silently lulling him to sleep. He'd been all work and no sleep the last couple of weeks and it had definitely started to take a toll on him. His body ached, his head hurt and he'd seriously been considering quitting his job.

He had enough money to live unemployed for awhile but had decided against it as his father had forced him to take the weekend off instead. He'd never been much of a workaholic but that hadn't stopped him from giving his all. One of his fuck buddies - Andie - had been the first to notice his tired aura and that had forced him into the realization of being completely beat. He'd slept badly as of lately and had a bad habit of waking up sweaty and slightly disorientated. It wasn't like him - he knew that. His mother had scolded him on the side effects of stress and lack of sleep. More like lack of judgement, on his part, perhaps.

Deep down, he knew that his mother meant well but sometimes she seemed to be in denial about her oldest son closing in on his thirtieth birthday. If she were to dictate his life - he would've been forced to move back home - which obviously wasn't an option as Damon had lived on his own since the day he turned eighteen. However, his mother always managed to excuse her erratic behavior on motherhood. ' _My job is to worry about my children.'_

And yes, he could admit that a part of him understood and that he could potentially see it from her point of view from time to time, but… He loved his mother no matter what - even if she almost managed to drive him crazy every now and then.

Damon sighed heavily as his eyes finally gave up and sleep overpowered his body. He started dreaming before his eyes had closed completely.

 _"Damon," she breathed against his mouth. "Damon, I need you."_

 _His body was about to burst up into flames as his fingers tangled themselves in her silky hair. He groaned when she ground her hips into his. She rubbed her center against his rock hard erection. He'd waited forever for this to happen. There were no words to describe how badly he wanted to be inside her._

 _Christ! He wanted to be inside her so bad, but first, he wanted to taste her. He wanted to rock her body, he wanted to make her scream, make her come and send her to oblivion without looking back._

 _"I want to taste you." He breathed as he rolled them over._

 _She smiled shyly as he crawled towards his destination, placing himself between her long tanned legs. He grinned and glanced up at her as he carefully nibbled on her inner thigh Damon slowly pulled the underwear off of her. He was quick to taste her._

 _She tasted like honey or something else - heavenly like – he couldn't exactly find a word that would possibly be good enough of a description._

 _Damon grabbed her hips, grounding her to the bed once she started raising her hips in desperation. He'd met her eyes as he slowly kissed her center and the intimate action caused her to moan - a moan that almost drove him insane. He'd found her clit and had started teasing it slowly, moving his fingers over her center, carefully sliding one and then two fingers into her warmth. "Elena."_

"Fuck." Damon growled, almost painfully, as he opened his eyes, a bolt of lightning exploding throughout his shivering body.

He was breathing hard, desperately gasping for air - his body glistening because of the sweat. What the hell? He pulled a hand through his hair and as he removed the quilt, he realized - to his big surprise - that the inside of his boxers were smeared with sperm. He frowned. He hadn't fallen asleep while playing with himself had he? Because that would be a sign of apparent disease and impending doom. Okay, so, what the actual fuck? He scratched the back of his head as he sat up.

What had just happened? Erotic dream? Huh. He huffed in surprise. He slowly grinned at the thought. He hadn't been having one of those since high school so why now? He ruffled his hair and got up from the couch, keen to get out of his boxers and take a shower - hoping that he would be able to sort out the foggy thoughts that currently seemed to occupate his tired brain.

As he slowly made his way towards his bathroom, the flashing images of a brown haired girl crossed his mind, almost blinding him, his eyes watering at the excruciating realization as he suddenly remembered the face he'd kissed in his dream. Shit! Oh, fuck no. Not again! He shook his head as he leaned back against the wall.

There was a part inside of him that felt so dirty at the mere, innocent thought of her - it almost felt like he'd violated some part of the Gilbert's only daughter's body. Elena. He'd splashed in his pants without even touching himself. It had to be the fourth time this week and he'd started to question whether or not if he was on the brink of insanity.

The first time, he'd simply shook it off without making a big deal out of it. The second time, he'd been slightly curious as to why she'd continued to invade his dreams at night. Was there something seriously wrong with him? Would he be heading towards fifty shades of crazy within the next couple of days? Highway to hell, perhaps… The third time, her face had popped up in his head while bedding a fuck buddy and it had most likely been the end of that short friendship. He sighed.

He shook his head in annoyance as he entered the bathroom, freeing himself from the sticky fabric. The lukewarm water felt so comforting as it poured down over his head. He groaned as her face still circulated in his head, causing his body to tense up in a familiar way. He didn't even have to lower his eyes in order to confirm his already twitching, swollen member.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" He groaned, the irritation a somber reminder of how 'disgusting' and weird it felt to think of her in that way.

They'd known each other their entire lives. They'd practically grown up together as their fathers were business partners and considered each other friends - family even.

So, due to Grayson being Giuseppe Salvatore's best friend – it wasn't unusual for the Gilbert's and the Salvatore's to spend holidays together at the Gilbert's lake house. Damon and his little brother, Stefan, had quickly bonded with Jeremy as they'd been close in age. The three boys had always gotten along with each other and Damon had never paid that much of attention to Elena. She'd never seemed interested as to what they'd been up to either. She was and had always been Jeremy's annoying, little sister - that's what he saw when he looked at her.

Damon blamed it on the age difference as she was eleven years younger than him. She'd turned eighteen a couple of weeks ago and he'd never thought much about it at the time.

And besides, during their childhood, she'd always been hanging around with her own friends - namely, Caroline Forbes - the blonde barbie.

Therefore, Elena had never bothered her brother and his friends and Damon hadn't seen much of her and honestly - he'd never even thought of her in any kind of sexual way before. He'd never been interested in getting to know her either, for that matter. She'd always been his friend's little sister and that was it.

It was all so messed up and it didn't matter how many times he'd been trying to find a decent answer to his filthy mind - nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

Clock had to be after midnight once he'd finished in the shower. He felt tired as he made his way over to his bed. Maybe the late nights at work and the lack of sleep, had to do with his brain messing up the sexual images in his head. Maybe, it was all you a stupid coincident. He was just about to close his eyes for the night when his phone started buzzing on the nightstand. He groaned, cursing himself as he sat up straight, leaning back against the headboard.

'Great.' He muttered as he grabbed ahold of the phone, his heart stopping as the familiar voice of Grayson Gilbert echoed in his ear. Shit! "Grayson?"

"Were you sleeping?" The familiar voice asked.

"Uh," Damon shrugged. "No. Not yet."

He got up and started pacing - slowly - back and forth in his bedroom, trying to calm his heart that beat furiously in his chest. He pulled a hand across his face, waiting for Grayson's next sentence. However, nothing in the world could've prepared him for what he would say next.

"I'm sorry to be bothering you this late but I need your help."

"It can't wait till tomorrow?" Stupid question, Damon thought. Grayson rarely asked for help if it wasn't serious. He just couldn't imagine what the older man wanted him to do for him and in the middle of the night. She'd never even crossed his mind.

"It's Elena."

Fuck! Could this night get any worse? First the very indecent dream and now this – he felt doomed - it had to be a very bad sign of some sorts. What was he supposed to say? 'I don't think it's a good idea because I've been having very vivid sex dreams about your only daughter - more than once and I've exploded like a fountain - every single time.' He clenched his fist.

"Well, apparently, my daughter got herself into trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" He dared to ask.

"Someone stole her car keys and wallet during her shopping spree with Caroline earlier this evening. She called me from a bar. To be honest, Damon, I don't think she's sober enough to even call a cab on her own. Miranda and I have a seven hour drive home from her parents and by then the damage is already done, I guess. I hope you understand that I can't leave my daughter - unprotected - at some filthy bar in the middle of the night."

"So, you want me to pick her up?" He frowned, the mere thought of her in his car causing him to get all riled up. 'Get your shit together!'

"Well, I would've called Jeremy to go get her but he's in Florida over the weekend. I considered calling your father but I didn't want to wake your parents this late." He explained tiredly.

"It's okay. I get it." Damon assured.

He just couldn't persuade himself to say no. The sincerity in Grayson's voice as he thanked him, affected him more than he'd thought it would. The man on the other line had never asked him for a favor before and as of this moment - he'd decided to trust Damon with one of the most valuable things in his life - his youngest child and only daughter.

However, the best thing would've probably been to turn him down; due to Damon's current sleep deprivation and dirty mind.

"I owe you."

Yes. Yes, you do.

* * *

Damon glanced at the neon sign as he parked his car.

The word bar had been an exaggeration to say the least. Honestly, it looked more like a dump, located at the side of the road. A couple of tattooed bikers eyed him suspiciously as he waltzed across the poorly planned parking lot and entered the 'building' - that reminded him more of a sunky cottage with cheap alcohol and a bad reputation. How on earth, did she managed to end up here?

As he looked around, he realized that finding Elena would be like searching for a needle in a haystack - there were people everywhere, drinking, talking, dancing, making out and dry humping one another. Great. As a horney teenager he probably would've loved the place but as of now, he wasn't impressed. As he started to make his way over to the bar in order to ask around if anyone had seen her - something caught his attention.

The crowd that had been gathered in front of the bar started clapping their hands and screaming in excitement. There was a young girl standing on top of the bar, her back facing them. Her brown curls fell perfectly over her shoulders. Dressed in tight, black jeans, a white tank top and black stilettoes. Nice! Wait. That face. 'Uh oh.'

Damon stopped dead in is tracks when his eyes finally recognized the person dancing and rolling her hips in circular movements on top of the bar. Grayson would certainly have died of a heart attack had he been there himself. Reality hit him so hard, that he thought he would stop breathing, his heart almost exploding inside his chest.

Little, innocent, annoying, girl next door - Elena Gilbert - was dancing on top of the bar - her body on full display for everyone to worship. Sweet baby Jesus.

For a moment or two, he just stood there - frozen to the floor, unable to move as he gawked at her, his eyes glued to her body, her female curves taunting him, hypnotizing him and every other male with functioning eyes in the room. This just wasn't his day.

Someone managed to elbow him in the ribs and thankfully - it sent him back to reality. He cursed loudly, pushing all young, horny and desperate teenagers out of his way, knowing damn well that Grayson wouldn't approve of his daughter's current behavior. Hell, Damon himself didn't even approve of her actions. He had to get her out of that bar before something bad happened.

He reached the bar within seconds.

"Elena!" He shouted, trying to overpower the loud music as he slammed his hand down on top of the bar. "Elena!"

She obviously didn't hear him over the noise – because she continued to dance as if she was a part of the Coyote Ugly movie; that Stefan had forced him to watch more than once during their teenage years. He groaned, irritated at the situation.

"Elena!"

This time, she turned around to meet his blue, angry, thundering orbs as he glared at her. In turn - Elena looked like she'd been busted with her hand in the secret cookie jar and he felt a twinge of satisfaction rush through his body. He motioned for her to stop what she was doing and watched her intently as she climb down from the bar - slightly humiliated. Or so he thought. She blushed crimson red and she looked… pissed. Really pissed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She hissed at him. "If this is one of your stupid jokes – I can tell you straight away that it's not funny!"

"Grayson called me. He was worried about you."

"Oh, really?" She glared at him and crossed her arms above her chest.

"It's way past your bedtime," He replied with his usual hint of sarcasm as he grabbed her by the arm. "Let's go."

"Let go of me."

He took another step forward and leaned in closer, their mouths merely a couple of inches apart. He could easily feel her breath on his lips as it tickled the sensitive area.

"Get your ass out the door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself." He smirked dangerously as he warned her. 'Oh honey, if looks could kill', he thought.

"You wouldn't dare." She hissed, her voice hoarse.

At that point, he was tired and annoyed to the point of exhaustion. He'd signed up for Elena - not a drunk and unrelenting teenager with a face of an angel. He'd never expected drunk Elena to fight him - he'd actually been expecting her to show some kind of gratitude - it was - after all, in the middle of the night.

She smelled of sweet perfume and tequila, her face so close to his that the scent of her caused him to feel slightly intoxicated. In other words, he'd had enough. If she wanted a scene, he would give her a scene. Without any warning, Damon grabbed her by the arm and yanked her in his direction, pulling her flush against his own body - her breasts pressing up against his chest.

He hauled her up without problem and she shrieked at him in surprise or perhaps; shock - but truth be told, Damon couldn't care less. People stared at them as he walked through the crowd. She yelled, kicked, screamed and breathed heavily due to the exertion of fighting against his tight grip.

"Just give it up already!" He growled and smacked her behind with an open palm as he reached the door and kicked it open. He steered his steps towards his car, refusing to let her go, the irritation inside him growing with every step.

"Damon, let go of me!" She managed to grab a handful of his hair in her fist and without hesitation - she yanked his head backwards, pulling so hard that he yelped at the impact.

"What the hell?" He groaned, his knees almost buckling as she pulled at his already tousled hair, his car within reach. "Fine! I'll let go if you promise to do the same."

She wobbled as he put her down with more force than what had been necessary and he ruffled his hair, massaging his sore scalp. They glared at each other, panting heavily as they tried to catch their breaths. Fucking nightmare, he thought to himself. He opened the door and motioned for her to get in. She shook her head, clearly displeased with the situation and slammed the door shut, with so much force that he gritted his teeth in annoyance.

Twenty minutes later and Elena had passed out in the passenger seat, resting her head against the windowpane. He glanced at her knowing fully well that she would feel like shit in the morning. 'Serves you right', the devil sitting on his left shoulder grinned with a hint of gloat.

He yawned, it was almost three a.m. and he'd never longed so hard for his bed before. He'd contemplated leaving Elena at her parents house but had decided against it, knowing very well that Grayson and Miranda would want her to be looked after - as she'd been quite drunk at the time he'd picked her up. To be fair, she'd reeked of liquor he'd never encountered before.

Their brawl at the bar had been as much of a shock and surprise to him as it probably had been to her too. He'd never raised his voice in her presence before, he'd never lost a part of his own self control while in her company - until that very moment.

He shook his head, regret scratching at his insides. He'd never meant to be rough or impatient with her. He recalled the weird sensation as he'd smacked her behind. Damn! That had been a mistake that he had regretted straight away. He'd crossed a line - invisible or not - he would have to apologize either way. He felt quite bad about the way he'd been acting.

He gripped the steering wheel with both hands. 'Stupid fucker.' He rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. 'Great, you probably scarred her for life.'

He could she her shiver in her seat as goosebumps appeared on her bare arms. Without thinking twice about it, he shrugged out of his leather jacket and draped it over her upper body. She sighed in contentment.

Another twenty minutes and he sighed heavily - tired beyond comprehension - as he parked outside his building. He contemplated whether or not to wake her up but decided against it. Gathering his last piece of strength, he managed to scoop her up in his arms. To his surprise, she'd sneaked her arms around his neck, while breathing quietly as they rode the elevator to the seventh floor.

She wasn't heavy but he could still feel the energy being drained from him as he struggled to unlock the front door without dropping her at his feet. She snuggled close to his neck, sending shivers down his spine as her warm breath tickled the sensitive skin.

At last, he finally managed to unlock the door and close it behind them. He headed straight for his bedroom. Once he'd placed her on top of his bed - he realized that he probably should've put her down on the couch instead. He sighed, his body aching, screaming at him to rest before insanity threatened to invade his - now fragile - senses. He shook his head at his own actions and laid down beside her, exhaustion knocking the wind out of him before his head hit the pillow.

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Be kind enough to leave a review =) or just a smile!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN;** This is the rewritten version of Love Me. Enjoy!  
And thank you so much for the reviews, they fuel the story.

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 **Sunday, October 15, 2009**

She woke up in a room she didn't recognize, badly hungover and nauseous. Her stomach rumbled in protest as she forced herself into a sitting position. She pulled a hand through her hair; trying to sort her thoughts - while diffused images of lost memories caused her to blink in confusion.

How did she end up in a bed she didn't even remember sitting down on? This was not good. Anxiety and a dose of fear started to brew inside her chest. What had happened last night?

'Crap.' She squeaked as she realized she missed both her phone and wallet. She could feel her heart starting to race as panic erupted inside. Her head hurt as she turned to have a look around. There were no photographs for as long as they eye could see - which worried her. Making a run for it wouldn't be easy if she couldn't get her nerves under control.

She tried her best but she just couldn't remember last night's events. Had someone kidnapped her? She quickly got to her feet, dizzy beyond belief as she wobbled unsteadily. She fought to stay upright. She had to get out. _Now_!

She searched the room for something she could potentially use in order to defend herself from her assumed assailant - but to her disappointment, she couldn't find anything out of value. Instead, she managed to realize that her body was still intact, as well as her clothes - she carried no bruises and despite the headache - she seemed rather okay. So, due to that realization - she finally decided to leave the unfamiliar room behind. She quietly tiptoed into a nice looking living room. She frowned, weary. She couldn't quite explain it but it all seemed strangely familiar. Even though, she could swear on her life, that she'd never been there before.

"Morning."

Her breath got caught in her throat as the velvety voice made its way to her ears. Slowly - Elena turned to the side and found the man of her most secretive and passionate dreams, staring back at her. The Damon Salvatore, casually dressed in dark jeans, a grey t-shirt, his hair perfectly tousled - oh my.

She feared that her jaw dropped to the floor as he flexed his muscled arm as he brought the cup to his lips.

She blinked. How was it even possible for a man to be _that_ sexy while sipping on a cup of coffee? Unbelievable - absolutely unbelievable. She tried to collect her thoughts. A _dream_? It had to be a dream. _Right_? Because, in what screwed up reality would Damon Salvatore be standing just a couple of feet away from her - with a look of concern plastered on his handsome face? She had to have entered a different dimension of some sort. Had someone sent her to a different planet? She blinked and discreetly pinched herself - hard - as she gathered enough courage to speak.

"Uhm…" She breathed.

He was standing in the same room as her and she'd lost her ability to form a coherent sentence. It was beyond embarrassing to lose composure because of a man – but then again, not all men looked like the one standing just a couple of feet away from her.

She'd never cared much about him before that birthday.

Something had changed at her fifteenth birthday - drastically - to say the least. It had been as if she'd simply woken up that day and looked at him in a different way - in a new light. She wasn't blind - she'd noticed his good looks long before that day but she'd never thought about him in a way that had caused butterflies to explode inside her. Elena had tried to pinpoint the emotions that had rushed over her but nothing seemed to make sense at the time.

Sure, she could've blamed it on hormones - Caroline had, most of the time.

Her blonde friend had always been very interested in the opposite sex and she'd dated more people than Elena could possibly recount on her two hands combined. Elena, however, had never been interested in guys her own age, she'd always found them childish and quite frankly, uninteresting and slightly boring. She'd dated Matt for a couple of months and he'd been two years older than her - not that she'd noticed the age difference. He was a sweetheart, really - but he wasn't it, for Elena.

He'd been the one to deflower her - as her mother so sweetly would've called it if she'd known about her daughter's escaped. Elena had broken up with him two weeks later and there'd been no hard feelings between them. You could say it had been a mutual decision and she'd never regretted it.

So, the day she'd turned fifteen - the Salvatore's had been there to celebrate with them. The lakehouse had been decorated and the atmosphere had been quite magical. Dinner had been amazing and he'd showed up just in time for her to cut the birthday cake. He had casually handed her a gift card, while he'd placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. He'd caught her eye right after and something had shifted inside her. She'd tried to shake the sizzling feeling for days - because, after all, he'd been twenty-six at the time and she'd never been able to catch his eye again. He'd been her dirty little secret since her fifteenth birthday and she'd never told anyone. Not even Caroline. _So yes_ , that's when it changed for her.

"Are you still hungover?" He asked casually, his voice bringing her back to reality.

"I, uh..." She massaged her temples, deciding not to lie. "Yes."

"Well, there's water and coffee. I could offer you a beer but something tells me I shouldn't." He said and motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen.

"Water's fine." She mumbled, embarrassed at the situation.

The light colored kitchen and its cupboards caused a smile to tug at the corner of her mouth. ' _Not what I'd expected,_ ' she thought to herself. She forced herself not to awe at the astonishing beauty of his well designed apartment. She sat down at the kitchen island and eyed him as he went about to get her a glass of water. She could feel something flutter in the lower part of her belly as he returned to her with a glass of ice-cold fluid. He took a seat across from her.

She slowly brought the glass to her lips and tried not to blush as she could feel his eyes on her, watching her every move. It was difficult to swallow the water due to the feeling of nausea still threatening to overpower her but she continued to sip at it for a good couple of minutes until he spoke.

"How much do you remember?" He eyed her cautiously.

"Honestly." She breathed, crimson red at that point. "Nothing. It's totally blank."

The thought of not remembering how she'd ended up at his place caused her hands to shake. What had happened? She didn't know if she had the balls to ask about it either. He seemed rather tired himself as he almost emptied his cup of coffee with one big gulping sound.

"I figured as much." He nodded slowly, swallowing. "Grayson called me and I couldn't say no, so I picked you up. I'm just glad that I could help."

"Thank you." She said sincerely, still blushing with embarrassment. "I hope I didn't cause you any trouble."

"It's fine." He assured. "Your dad, on the other hand, will probably have a thing or two to say once he gets here."

Her dad? Oh _no_. She'd forgotten all about the repercussions that would most certainly be coming her way within a couple of hours. Her dad would most likely ground her for a month or two and scold her to the point of her ears falling off. She didn't look forward to it, knowing very well how heavy handed her father could be at times. She shuddered at the mere thought of it and Damon noticed.

"I should get going then."

"He called earlier, they've been attained at your grandma's place. It's pouring down and most of the roads have been flooded."

"Oh." She managed to nod, trying to act indifferent to the new information.

"You're welcome to stay till the weather clears up and... your dad kind of insisted that you stay anyway, so…" He shrugged casually.

She desperately tried to calm her nerves, excitement and a mix of anxiety coursing through her veins as he looked at her. His blue orbs locked on her brown ones, hypnotizing her with his intense gaze. She felt as if her body caught fire as he continued to eye her, a silent smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. She could actually feel the electricity buzzing around them as she let herself get lost in the ocean of blue. A sudden wave of nausea caused her to turn away from him as she realized that she'd spent yesterday with Caroline. Fear of what might had happened to her friend had her stomach bubbling with anxiety.

She looked up at him.

"Can I borrow your phone?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later and she'd finally talked to Caroline about what had happened. Crazily enough, Caroline didn't even remember that Damon had been there to pick up her friend. However, she did remember the face of her parents as she'd been caught dancing with a biker twice her age. Apparently, Damon had made sure to call Bill and Liz - who'd picked up their daughter just minutes after he'd thrown Elena over his shoulder. As Caroline rambled on and on about their last night escapades, Elena slowly started to remember what had happened.

To her horror, she could recall the dancing on top of the bar and the fight with Damon as he'd tried to help her. She closed her eyes in regret. She'd been a… She shook her head. She remembered how she'd refused to go with him and she could remember being thrown over his shoulder. The shame was close to unbearable.

And as for Caroline; Liz and Bill Forbes were both in law enforcement and Elena didn't even dare to think about the punishment coming her friend's way. She felt bad for her but she also knew, that Caroline was far from being the star child. She usually managed to get herself in a lot of trouble and Elena often had to talk them out of certain stupid situations. She was a great friend nonetheless - Elena couldn't deny that.

Once she reentered the kitchen, she felt embarrassed to the point of physical pain but she forced herself to act like a grown up. She handed him his phone and nodded gratefully. She felt so bad about her acting and felt the necessary need to apologize to him, more than once.

"I want to apologize." She said, fumbling with her hands as he looked at her. "I feel so bad about the way I acted last night. I recall some bits and pieces."

"It's fine." He dismissed.

"It's not." She decided to stand her ground. "I behaved badly. I usually don't drink and I guess I just got caught in the moment. I'm sorry you had to deal with it."

"I get it." Damon said. "Just don't make it a habit."

 _What the...?_ She blushed and wanted to disappear through the floor. _My god_. He sounded like an overprotective brother – who scolded his younger sister about her alcohol habits. A sting of sadness hit her; that was probably what he thought of her - a younger sister with bad alcohol habits. She let out a shaky breath, forcing herself to remember that he wasn't on the menu and probably never would be. He brought her back to reality.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" He raised an eyebrow, normalizing the atmosphere between them.

"Sure." She nodded, thankful for the distraction it would bring.

"Okay then, ladies first." Damon said and motioned for Elena to pick a movie as they entered the living room area.

She eyed his impressive collection of DVDs. There were no chick flicks - not that she'd expected any. She continued to eye the titles - some she recognized, others, not so much. She could feel herself smile as she read Coyote Ugly at the top of the shelf. She would ask him about that one later.

* * *

Once she plopped down beside him, he had to curse his fantasies as he realized that he'd been thinking about the seventeen's firm behind.

To his surprise, Elena choose a somewhat scary thriller movie; The Forsaken. Once she plopped down beside him, he had to curse himself and his fantasies as he realized that he'd been thinking about her firm behind as she'd bent over to grab the movie.

To be honest, he'd expected her to pick the only chick flick he owned - Coyote Ugly, but no, she'd surprised him. Then again, Damon didn't own any movies where the focus was on romance and sex - unless it contained a huge dose of male testosterone and action. Sure, he owned a couple of porno's – who didn't? - but it wasn't like he could watch the 'fuck me senseless' trilogy with Elena. ' _Damn it_!' Just the mere thought of it got him hard – thank heavens for the huge amount of pillows he'd put on his sofa. He discreetly grabbed a couple of them and moved to the right – indiscreetly and unintentionally – making more room for Elena to stretch out.

She sneaked her feet under the fleece blanket in her corner and scrambled closer to his corner of the sofa. She quietly placed her head on his shoulder and leaned into him. A simple act but so full of electricity that it almost hurt. Damon didn't actually dare to move as she leaned against him - soft, warm and inviting. _Dear_ _Lo_ \- he could easily smell the sweetness of her perfume and apple scented shampoo. He gritted his teeth and tried to focus solely on the movie. He could see the warning signs in his head. ' _Young teen sexually ravished by older man.'_ He tried to shake the feeling of arousal.

* * *

Elena glanced at him and could tell that he was slowly starting to fall asleep. He seemed so tired and honestly - quite exhausted. She smiled as she eyed him intently, feeling herself blush while doing so. A part of her wanted to reach out and touch him; another part screamed at her to get her shit together before she did something else to embarrass herself bad enough; to the point of idiocy becoming a truthful part of her.

She sighed and turned towards the movie; Kerr Smith's character was currently fighting with Brendan Fehr. She could feel her own eyes starting to sting as she felt how sleep slowly forced her to close her eyes.

* * *

She woke up; hours later, to the feeling of someone reaching out for her thigh. She stirred in her seat, eyesight still blurry and unclear. She blinked a couple of times before realizing that, that someone was Damon. She'd ended up in her own corner and he was lying across the sofa with his head dangerously close to her lap. Her body tingled as he grabbed her thigh; murmuring in his sleep. Her heart exploded in her chest and it was hard not to lose control completely. She wanted to grab his hair and guide his face down between her legs, enjoying the feel of him pressed against her soft flesh but she didn't - but lord knew, she wanted to, _badly_.

She tried moving but he grabbed her thigh, snuggled closer to her center. Her breath caught in her throat as he tilted his head and nibbled her inner thigh. His mouth was so close to her center and she could feel herself burn with desire, arousal and some primal instinct causing her heart to beat furiously in her chest. Elena wanted to lift her hips, tilt them just a bit and grind against the back of his head. He continued to nibble on her inner thigh and she couldn't stop herself. A moan escaped her and he stirred in his sleep. She froze and felt the flushed emotion of embarrassment explode on her face. He slowly turned and gazed up at her.

Without warning - as if he'd been burned by her skin - he shot to his feet, casually trying to hide the growing _pain_ in his pants.

"Sorry." He pulled a hand through his tousled hair. "I shouldn't have done that."

He left her behind and headed to the kitchen. Elena sighed heavily and tried to calm her body and stop the fire that threatened to consume. Maybe she should've allowed him some space but something forced her to follow him out into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter, breathing heavily, his eyes closed in what could be described as despair. The kitchen island was the only thing separating them from touching one another.

"Damon." She breathed, wanting him to look at her. Wanting him to know that she hadn't felt violated by his sudden display of affection.

In all honesty, she wanted him to do it again - snuggle up between her legs while she rode his tongue with the movements of her hips - ready and wet for him. And as if on cue, as if he knew what she'd been thinking of - he looked at her, caught her questioning brown eyes and narrowed his own orbs.

"It's okay." She assured without as much as moving an inch.

The air became thicker between them and somehow both of them started to breathe heavier as the atmosphere changed. Elena had forgotten all about her sane personality. She wanted him - wanted him so bad that her body ached with need while screaming for the pleasure she knew that his body could give hers. Their eyes had some sort of mysterious, slightly insane eye-sex-thingy going on when Elena blurted out the secret she'd kept hidden for so long.

"I've had a crush on you since I was fifteen." She blurted out, unable to stop herself from the embarrassment of sharing her secret.

She wanted to crawl back into her own skin, hide and never show herself again. _My god,_ if she'd been an emoji, she would've been 'the facepalm'-smiley that puked, died and slowly turned to ashes... She glanced at him - quite terrified of his reaction.

Damon felt a little taken aback at the sincere honesty she showed him. A part of him shrugged it off easily, while another part of him - got majorly - turned on by the inappropriate confession. What was he supposed to say? ' _Let's be irresponsible and fuck each others brains out?_ ' She couldn't snuggle up against him on the sofa and then say things like that - then again, he'd almost buried his face between her legs. For fucks sake, he'd nuzzled - _nibbled -_ at the inside of her thigh and he'd heard the sound that had escaped her mouth.

And now, she barely had the strength to look at him. He could tell that she was embarrassed – hell, even Damon himself felt embarrassed as he'd lost his skill to form words. All he could think of, was… well, fuck. He wanted her. He couldn't explain it. He just, wanted her. His body ached, screamed and yelled at him to ravish her, taste her, enjoy her body, spilling his seed insi–

"Just, forget it."

Her voice brought him back to reality and he forced himself to smirk as he tried to hide the amount of shock he felt. However, he must've failed miserably because she heaved a sigh and her eyes watered in an instant. He wanted to say something. Comfort her. He didn't want her to cry. _Shit!_ He couldn't handle tears, especially not hers as all he wanted was to kiss her senseless. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to act as the grown up he was.

"I should go."

"Yes." He said. "You should. Besides, that was inappropriate."

Elena flinched at the unexpected cold and anger in his otherwise so sexy and seductive voice. It felt as if he'd slapped her. _Inappropriate_? Was he freaking serious? She just poured her heart out, telling him about one of her biggest secrets and this was how he reacted to it? With _anger_? Okay, she'd always imagined him ravishing her body after _that_ confession but reality was a lot uglier than her inner dreams. Oh, how she regretted it by now. And truth be told, she'd wanted him to take her but she'd never _expected_ him to ravish her and play dirty sex games with her on the kitchen island – she'd just expected something else. Not anger.

However, he seemed to have lost a bit of his composure.

"Are you saying that it was inappropriate of me because you're supposed to say that or because you really feel that way?"

He took a few steps in her direction, rounding the corner of the kitchen island. They were both standing a couple of feet away from each other now, heaving deep breaths, chemistry sizzling between them, causing the air to fill up with sparkling electricity.

"It doesn't matter." He replied and tried to mask what was going through his mind.

She'd been riding him to oblivion in his dreams and her she was, standing in the middle of his kitchen, basically letting him know that she was his for the taking. He shook his head, there wouldn't be any _'taking'_ of anyone.

"Is it because I'm younger than you?" She questioned.

"Elena." He warned and gritted his teeth, clenched his fists.

It was so hard not to lose control and just grab her and use her in all the ways he could think of. Parts of him ached with the desperate need of coupling, letting his body love hers. It felt so overpowering - almost as if something supernatural forced his body to crave hers - in ways he'd never felt before. _Dumbstruck_.

"Just tell me the truth." She continued. "And then I'll go."

"Even if I did feel something for you." He would surely curse himself – _later_ \- for what he was about to say but he couldn't stop the words from leaving his mouth. "I can't exactly act on it."

"So, you do feel something for me?"

A spark of hope seemed to be ignited inside her eyes and he wanted to slap himself. He was clearly playing with fire and sooner or later, he would get burned. Causing her pain wasn't an option so he tried the jackass-style instead of the understanding big brother - closing the lid as fast as possible, minimizing the risks. He knew how to be mean.

"I never said I liked you." Damon sighed with a bit of fierce attitude. "I've known you my entire life, you're too young and you're not exactly my type."

"Oh." She mumbled, trying to hide her eyes from his intense orbs. "Okay, I get it."

"Good."

"Forget it. Bye, Damon."

Even though she tried to hide it before turning around, Damon could still see the hurt expression on her face and the tears that welled up in her beautiful eyes. _She wasn't his type?_ A piece of the weird fluttering butterflies exploded inside him and pain soared through him as they died a painful death - casing him to feel all swollen and sore with guilt. He sighed. Why did he have to exaggerate? Why be mean? She'd been honest and he'd been mean. Fine, he wasn't much for sugarcoating things but come on... He'd been a dick. He was a dick. A part of him felt bad about the earlier sentence and he sighed heavily at his own stupidity.

He stood still for a couple of seconds before rolling his eyes, silently cursing his bad personality for what he was about to do next. The man-whore inside his head – yelled at him to go for it. The normal and natural part inside his head, told him to stay exactly where he was. He contemplated both choices for a nanosecond before moving. She was about to reach the doorknob when he caught up with her. He grabbed her by the arm, spun her around and backed her up against the door.

They were both breathing heavily as they stared at each other, drowning in the eyes of the other person. He carefully leaned his forehead against hers. He could almost feel the electricity rolling off of her in waves. His hands gripped her wrists and she gulped nervously as he moved them to hold them still above her head. He wanted to give in. _Badly._ But, he just... he couldn't cross the barrier. That would be stupid and it would obviously change everything - he wasn't ready for that. He wasn't ready to change everything for the throws of passion and want and need.

"I..." He closed his eyes for a second, shook his head. "I can't."

His body didn't agree with him and the strain in his jeans felt painful as it pulsated. She was so close to his body - if he just tilted his hip to the side and she would be able to feel how hot and bothered he was.. and all because of her. _Fuck!_ ' _Concentrate!'_

"Damon, please."

The sound of his name on her lips made something inside him burn with flames bigger than he'd ever felt before. There was something about her that pulled him towards her. He wanted to be strong and fight whatever it was but when he met her eyes and noticed how her lower lip quivered in utter desperation – there was nothing that could hold him back.

"Ah. Fuck it." He breathed.

Her eyes barely had the time to flicker to his before their lips crashed into each other. Their lips collided without remorse and they quickly fought for dominance and at that moment, his brain shut down all of the negativity that crossed the back of his mind. None of the bad thoughts lasted long enough for him to remember as her lips and the rest of her body slowly responded to his movement.

She felt so warm, pressed between him and the wooden door. The minute her soft sigh escaped her mouth and blended with his breath – things changed. Damon could literally feel it. _Everything changed._ How was it even possible for her mouth to form itself after his, so perfectly? What he felt was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He let go of her wrists and grabbed her waist in exploding arousal and pressed himself against her. He wanted her. Not to mention, other parts of his body wanted her too.

Everything felt so different – as if everything around him just clicked into place. It was weird and he couldn't really explain it – however the second Elena pulled away from him, everything went back to normal. And normal couldn't even compare to what he'd just felt. They breathed heavily as they stared at each other. Her eyes filled with shock and questions he didn't know the answers to. _What had just happened?_ Her facial expression matched his inner chaos pretty well.

He wanted to kiss her again and if the flashlight in his pants weren't enough proof, then he didn't know what would be. He wanted to lean his forehead against hers, mold his lips with hers, grab her by the thighs, pick her up and carry her to his bed. And then, they would have hours of meaningless sex and nothing would change. She would still be the annoying little kid across from his parent's house – the kid he'd never even cared that much about - right?

It felt as if someone had slammed his head into a wall and he quickly let go of her waist, with the softness of her skin still lingering on his fingertips. He had to sober up and try to act like the grown up he actually was. It was hard though. Every inch of his inner being told him to just go for it. Told him to take her, right there against the door, on the floor, claim her as if she'd always been his. He managed to find a tiny piece of willpower and backed away from her.

"I shouldn't have done that." He tried to sound apologetic but failed. Not that he wanted to apologize for it but somehow the words formed themselves without his consent.

"What just happened?" She whispered quietly as droplets of salty tears escaped from her eyes. "What was that?"

"I don't know." He answered sincerely and pulled a hand through his hair, confused and slightly dazed. "I don't know."

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

**AN;** This is the rewritten version of Love Me. Enjoy!  
 **I'm on a roll & it's all because of your reviews.**  
Thank you so much for the reviews, they fuel the story.

* * *

Seconds after she'd slammed the door - he'd opened it again but she was already gone by then and maybe, that was for the best. What had happened between them could not happen again. _Ever_. It was just so… Wrong? Weird? He shook his head at his own thoughts. ' _Fuck_!'

He felt drained and he was still painfully hard and the bulge in his pants taunted him, twitched and pressed against the fabric. He felt hot and bothered. Turned on and quite frankly… horny. Damon closed his eyes and made his way back to the living room. The bulge in his pants reminded him of the way she'd pressed herself against him. Her entire body had formed itself perfectly along his and it had felt so damn right. Thoughtfully, he plopped down on the sofa. The thought of her nagged at the back of his mind. He had to get laid - when was the last time he got laid? That had to be the only reason as to why he'd reacted like a nuclear bomb just a couple of minutes ago. He glared at the tent in his pants, the annoyance growing with every second passing by.

 _'What was that?_ ' she'd asked.

 _'That's what I'd like to know.'_ He thought and slowly freed himself from the fabric.

He sprung free and sighed. He used a bit of precum to stroke the length of his erection. This was the only way he knew of how to clear his mind. He needed a release. Damon closed his eyes, wrapped his fingers around the erection that throbbed painfully, reminding him of how close she'd been to him. The only thing that had separated them from coupling right then and there - had been the fabric of their clothes.

He imagined her as he stroked himself, doing it carefully was way overdue and he settled with a pace that he knew would set him off in minutes. He groaned and leaned his head back against the pillows she'd propped herself on while watching the movie earlier. The scent of her and the apple shampoo she clearly used; caused him to grunt. ' _Elena_.'

She wasn't what he'd always thought she was. Last night, she'd been different. Annoying, yes. But, at the same time, intriguing and something else he couldn't pinpoint. Seeing her drunk last night had explained a lot of things he'd never thought about before. She clearly knew how to enjoy herself. Yes, there had been a childlike tone to her but it didn't shine through and dominating the other layers of her personality.

And she had personality - to say the least. She'd had the guts to let her feelings pour – face to face. He had to admit that it had been a shock but also – a major turn on. She'd been standing just a couple of feet away from him and she'd practically begged him to ravage her. Damon wouldn't have had any problem with the ravaging part. Hell, lord knew that he'd wanted to – but the little voice in the back of his mind had told him to keep it in his pants and he'd tried.

He'd fought it off for as long as he possibly could have had. She'd managed to break every single part of self preservation and come to think of it… He was pissed because of it - so pissed and riled up that he winced at his own grip around the shaft he pumped with intense ferocity.

The moment that he'd pushed her up against the door – well, he didn't really know how to describe it – but he could've taken her right then and there. He'd been so close to her center, he'd felt the warmth and the lust and passion. _Yes_ , it had been mind blowing. Gosh, he just couldn't wrap his mind around it.

 _'She's eighteen'_ , his responsible voice said. However, the inner voice of his _manwhore_ told him to go for it and somehow that feeling frightened him more than it usually did. He was far from used to this - whatever ' _this_ ' was. They'd shared saliva and she'd definitely felt his erection being pushed against her soft spot – but so what? What did it mean? Did it even have to mean something?

He'd made sure she knew that he wasn't exactly interested – right? _'But you kissed her, you dick.'_ It's not like she would be heartbroken over the situation that had occurred between them? ' _You dick.'_

" _Fuck_."

He let go of his member and groaned in frustration. His own body failed him. He couldn't reach climax. He couldn't even chase after it due to the explosive chaos stirring up dozens of unknown emotions inside him. He rolled his eyes at the irony and hoped that Elena wouldn't be affected by his words about not being interested in her. She was more or less one of the most attractive women he'd ever seen but that didn't mean it was okay to dip his dick in her cave.

Damon feared for his own sanity as he grabbed the pillow, inhaled the scent she'd left behind and fell asleep with a hand in his pants while the other held the pillow to his heaving chest. He had to get his shit together or this would end badly...

* * *

Humiliated – she'd hurried home with the ache in her belly growing with every step. It had felt as if she'd been heading in the wrong direction – however, turning around wasn't an option either. Clearly, Damon wanted nothing to do with her and it hurt. It hurt like hell. But what had she'd been expecting?

There was no denying it - she'd dreamt about the moment where she told him about her feelings for him – like forever and this was not how the situation had played out in her mind. In her wildest dreams, Damon acknowledged her feelings, he also carried her to bed and claimed her as his, forced her to welcome his body as he entered hers and made love to her. In the real world – he'd kissed her and she'd turned to jelly, she'd also been the one to pull away first.

The thought of what could have happened if she hadn't pulled back - crossed her mind - her body tingling at the memory of his lips on hers. It had been unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Kissing Matt had been exciting and rather sweet but this… kissing Damon had been like throwing yourself over the edge and into a category five hurricane.

He'd seemed rather shocked at what had happened as they'd stared at each other and then she'd left his place – heartbroken and slightly mad at her own way of handling the situation. But the kiss. Oh, _the kiss._ He must had felt the sizzling chemistry and static electricity that had been buzzing around them. _Right_?

Elena had felt _everything_. It had felt as if a part of her soul had found its home. She'd felt as if she'd found her home and Damon had denied her that comfort. He'd also denied that there were any feelings or whatsoever coming from his side. Apparently, he felt nothing. _Nada_. Nothing at all, except from perhaps… what? Lust? Arousal? _'Well,_ ' she thought to herself. 'He can't deny _that._ '

She'd felt him as he'd pressed his erection against her center - felt the hard bulge protrude under the fabric that had separated them. She'd been close to offer her body right then and there. She shook her head as she got undressed; she felt cold and tiny, sad and excited at the same time. Her emotions seemed to have stirred up inside her and she couldn't stop thinking about the way his hands had gripped at her wrists. He hadn't manhandled her in any way and he hadn't scared her but he'd been rough. The evidence of his hard grip could be seen on the inside of her left wrist. A small bruise had begin to appear and she rubbed her arms before sighing heavily.

At some point during her walk home, she'd wanted to go back and slap some sense into him but how would that – seriously - help the situation? Damon didn't even seem interested - at least not in the way she wanted him to be – he would probably just continue to apologize and mention the age difference again and again and again. She certainly wouldn't put herself out there again. It had been slightly terrifying.

What if he didn't find her attractive? She knew that his old girlfriends had been blondes with long legs and blue eyes and Elena didn't exactly fit the description. Or maybe – he really didn't like her that way – or in any other way – for that matter. Either way, she felt cold and sad as she got in the shower.

The hot water felt good against her skin and warmed her aching body. Her hair cascaded in long watery waves down her back and she couldn't help but to think about the kiss were Damon had pushed her up against the door. She'd easily been able to feel his erection through the fabric separating them. She blushed as she thought about his naked body on top of hers. She would've let him take her against the door, raw, passionate and animalistic like. The thought got it to tingle between her legs. She did her best to ignore the feeling and washed her hair.

Her brain told her to stay mad at him because she was sad and still felt very humiliated and embarrassed but somehow, her body did not agree with those guidelines. In the end, her hands kind of steered themselves and she couldn't stop it from happening. Her nether regions reacted to the long trail of heavy and dirty thoughts that crossed her mind.

In her vivid fantasy, he was going down on her while she leaned back on her elbows, comfortably stretched out on his sofa – swiping his tongue across her slit. Elena could feel herself leaning towards the tiles as she let her right hand circle her sensitive area for a couple of minutes. She could slowly feel the pressure build inside of her but she just couldn't let it go.

Her nipples were hard and begged for a nice rub and her undivided attention. She closed her eyes and sighed as realization hit her. She wanted to climax – she _needed_ to climax - wash away all the pent up passion that had been locked away – but her body couldn't get there - not now. The frustration gave her a throbbing headache.

She just decided to give up and sighed, dried a tear that had managed to escape her eye. She felt a desperate need to clean herself so she scrubbed her body from top to toe, trying to calm her bubbling emotions and the thoughts running through her head. She stayed in the shower for almost an hour.

Her parents got home sometime during the evening and she'd been grounded for a week. Once she'd complained about it, her father had threatened to confiscate both phone and laptop but she'd managed to talk herself out of that punishment.

* * *

It was way past 10.45 pm when Elena finally crawled under the covers. She'd wanted to call Caroline but her friend had gotten her phone confiscated by two very angry parents so she couldn't tell her about Damon. She picked up her diary – there were so many things that her earlier shower hadn't been able to wash away - Damon, for example. He'd been circulating in her mind all day long and she wanted nothing else than to be free from the need of wanting him on top of her. The thought continuously crossed her mind and she couldn't erase it. She couldn't rewind their time together. The thought of him telling his father or Stefan about their escapade felt nerve wracking but she did feel quite certain that he would - undoubtedly - keep it to himself.

She managed to write a couple of sentences but couldn't concentrate long enough to create a summary of the day she'd had – it could've easily become a novel by the time she'd finished. Instead, she turned off the lights and pulled up the covers to her chin. 'Damon.' A part of her body wanted him beside her and she closed her eyes, attempting to block the sight of his gorgeous face but to no avail. It was and always had been impossible for her to block him out of her mind whenever he managed to creep inside. After their kiss and the confrontation - everything inside her felt… _different_. Unwired. Weird.

She tossed and turned for almost an hour before finally falling asleep.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Elena woke up with a tingling sensation that quickly spread itself throughout her entire body. She breathed heavily, the sheets felt sticky against her skin. She sat up, pulled a hand through her hair and leaned against the headboard. It was almost 3.00 am and the only light in the room – came from the full moon outside of her window.

She pulled her hands through her hair once again and closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm her breathing and the nerves that seemed to jolt whenever she moved her limbs – until she realized that her body felt hot and bothered. Her subconscious briefly reminded her of Damon's lips against hers and the feelings that had started to surface during the shower. Elena bit her lower lip in frustration. ' _No. Nope. Not gonna happen._ ' She tried to convince herself.

Elena shook her head as if trying to get rid of the naughty thoughts. She wasn't in the mood – but to no avail – because every time she closed her eyes, she could see his face – taunting her, telling her, demanding her to touch herself. She grunted and felt how a tiny piece of anger started to brew inside her.

Obviously, her body knew what it needed and wanted more than she did at the moment – because she found herself steering her hands underneath the covers. It pulsated between her legs and when her fingers felt the lubricated wetness – she gave up the fight. She'd never felt dirty for touching herself and letting go of the ground below but this was different. She wasn't filled with lust, she felt mad and frustrated. Annoyed at how everything had been so fucked up just because she couldn't keep her own secret.

She'd lost her virginity to Matt – not because she'd loved him and had wanted it more than she'd needed the air in her lungs or because she'd been horny and filled with exploding lust – but because everyone else did it and certain rumors had circulated the school. At that time she didn't know herself that well but after Matt's failed attempt and a faked orgasm – Elena had decided to take things into her own hands. _Literally_.

By now, she knew what she liked and what set her off but sometimes that didn't feel quite as satisfying as she wanted it too. Of course she thought about sex every now and then and what it would be like if you slept with someone you had real deep feelings for. She'd thought about sleeping with Damon more times than she could count. After all, he'd been the one present person in her fantasies, the person that always pushed her over the edge and pushed her buttons to the point of oblivion. ' _Damon_.'

Her nipples felt hard against the fabric of her tank top and her right hand circled the little – yet powerful – bundle of nerves. She could feel her hips lift themselves from the mattress and quickly grabbed a pillow.

* * *

Wednesday, October 18, 2009

Elena looked up from the very tedious essay as her father opened her door. He didn't bother knocking and it no longer bothered her to the point of crazy. He'd never knocked and he probably wouldn't start. If she wanted privacy the only solution would be to lock her door. He sent her a smile and nodded towards her laptop and the pile of material covering her desk.

"How's it going?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorpost.

Grayson eyed his daughter with caution. He knew that she was a good kid and that she worked harder than most teenagers to keep her grades up – but he also knew that she had a more carefree side that she'd started to explore more frequently. Bill Forbes daughter had a bad habit of dragging his daughter in the dirt and he wanted Elena to minimize her time with Caroline. The last thing he wanted was for her to get in trouble because of the sheriff's kid.

Grayson believed in discipline and had certain rules for certain things. Besides, rules were there to be followed and he didn't tolerate the fact that his eighteen-year-old daughter got stranded and drunk at a bar in the middle of the night. That kind of behavior was unacceptable and he'd made sure that both his kids knew that at an early age - still, Elena had greatly disappointed him with her last escapade.

As a kid, Elena had always been calm and had obeyed most things being thrown her way. Jeremy - on the other hand – had been quite a bit difficult to handle. He'd caused fights and trouble in school – leading to almost being kicked out. Thankfully, Grayson managed to come to an agreement with the school's principal and they'd let Jeremy stay and he'd left town the day after his graduation.

Grayson knew that he was way too hard on his kids sometimes but that was just the way he'd been raised from an early age. His parents had never showed him any kind of affection so at some point in his life he'd tried to get in touch with his own emotions. He told his kids that he loved them once in awhile but rarely hugged them or used his body language to show his appreciation.

His wife – Miranda - knew the reason behind his cold exterior and she'd never blamed him for the way he'd always been. She knew that he wasn't easy to get to know but she did know that he loved with all his heart and wanted the best for his family – he just didn't know how to show it.

"I'm losing my mind." Elena pulled a hand through her hair and closed her laptop before turning around to face her father. "None of it makes sense. I've read the books, I've scanned through the articles but I still don't have the answer. Which is starting to bother me to the extent of crazy."

"You know what I've told you since you were a little girl."

"Time and effort." She replied without a doubt.

"That's right." He said sternly. "I'm sure it'll turn out great."

"Thank you."

"Now, we need to talk, about Damon."

Elena could feel the blood freezing in her veins. What? NO. If Damon had given her father a detailed description of what had happened– no. Her father had a bad temper but no… She tried to calm her heart. He couldn't possibly know about the awkward kiss and the highly private confession? But then again, her father always mentioned that he knew everything worth knowing. She gulped and decided to try and feign innocence.

"What about him?"

"I've never been ashamed of you." He stated, his arms crossed. "Until the night I had to call my colleague's son and beg him to pick up my drunk and very irresponsible daughter."

It felt as if her father had slapped her across the face. He'd felt ashamed of her. She bit her lip, fumbled nervously with her hands and tried to compose herself. The last thing she wanted to do was crying in front of her father – he would surely scold her for that as well. Emotions and tears - had never had any effects on her father's solid exterior. She forced herself to breathe as he decided to continue.

"To be honest, Elena… I expected this behavior from Jeremy but not from you."

Her stomach ached - oh how she regretted her choices that had led her and Caroline to the biker bar. For once, she'd actually been the influencer and her conscience started to come to life with a dose of defensiveness.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again and it wasn't Caroline's fault that–"

"Caroline Forbes is bad company. I've told you this before. If you could minimize the time you spend with her and focus on school instead."

It wasn't a question but a demand and requirement that she would have to live up to if she wanted to escape her father's wrath. He entered the room and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay." Elena nodded quietly, at a loss for words.

"I'm far from a perfect parent but," He paused. "I'm only trying to do the right thing."

"I know."

Elena knew that her father meant well most of the time - even though he could be a little too emotionless regarding certain subjects. In his defense he only did what he thought was the best for his kids and his family – none could blame him for that. He could be very strict but also fair and respectful. She looked up to him in many ways – after all, he was her father and the one who always cared no matter what she did – but the fact that he'd felt ashamed… How would she ever be able to repair that crack in their already sturdy relationship.

It almost broke her heart as he left her room without another word or encouragement.

The short conversation she'd had with her father caused her to miss her brother. Jeremy was out traveling the world with Stefan and would - hopefully - be home in time for their father's birthday party. Elena missed him but knew that he'd had to get out of the house. Jeremy didn't exactly get along with their father and they'd been in desperate need to get away from each other. Jeremy was more of a rebel and stood up towards their father every chance he got.

Elena couldn't blame her brother – Grayson had always had very high expectations on his firstborn and when Jeremy didn't go to law school – things took a turn for the worst. It had led to a violent fight – so violent that some of the neighbors had called the police – anonymously. Both father and son had ended up with one black eye each.

She hated the fact that their family didn't get along as well as others. The Salvatore's were absolutely adorable and Elena envied the hugs and kisses they always seemed to give one another. Damon had grown up with two very heartwarming parents and it was safe to say that the Gilberts and the Salvatores were two very different families.

* * *

 **Thursday, October 19, 2009**

Her father had sent her to the office. He had an important lunch meeting and an afternoon appointment with a new client and had to get some of his files for the weekend - which meant he planned to work from home. She would've offered to help prioritizing the different cases on his desk but due to the client confidentially it hadn't been much of an option. He'd allowed her to sort through some of them but reading and snooping had never been accepted and she respected those boundaries.

He was still mad at her and she'd felt the disappointed look he'd sent her over dinner last night. Her mother hadn't mentioned her daughter's drunken escapade - knowing very well that her husband had a habit of raising his voice if she did bother to bring it up. Elena had never seen her parents show any kind of PDA for one another. She'd never seen them share a hug or a chaste kiss. She'd seen them dancing but they always seemed so cold and distant from each other. Perhaps, she wasn't supposed to see it - but they seemed to lack passion and the need to be close; their bodies craving the other didn't seem to exist.

Her mother was filled with a compassion that her father didn't posses. Miranda had let Grayson believe that he was the rooster all the while she'd been handling everything from behind the curtains. Elena respected her mother for a lot of reasons and loving Grayson Gilbert was one of them.

Elena entered the lobby and waved at the building's security guard, Simon. He nodded in confirmation as she took the elevator to the 15th floor. She eyed herself in the mirror that covered one of the elevator's walls. She'd dressed in her black skinny jeans and, a white oversized shirt and a yellow cardigan, she'd put up her hair in a high ponytail and her makeup was light. She had to admit that she felt rather drained of energy. Her breakfast had been light and on top of it all, she'd missed her cup of coffee and she'd rushed from school, ready to skip her lunch hour in order to please her father. She inhaled deeply and rolled her shoulders as the elevator came to a stop.

The building was exceptional, old and kind of rustic in some ways. She loved visiting the place and sighed in contentment as she passed the receptionist before heading towards her father's office. Most people were out eating lunch so the floor was quiet and almost empty of people.

She left the door open and entered, just as awed as the first time she'd set foot in the gracious space. It was decorated with dark and grey colors, a pair of luxury armchairs, high bookshelves and a huge desk dominated in the middle of the room, a huge wall of glass showing visitors the beauty of her hometown below.

The exterior of her father's office had always felt rather cold and nonpersonal and it probably was. There were no framed pictures of his family anywhere on his desk and it had always twinged at her insides realizing it. Even Giuseppe Salvatore had a bunch of photos placed on the front of his desk. She shook her head. 'Do not even go there.' Instead of letting her thoughts wander she decided to focus solely on her task and started to search for the files her father needed to bring home for the weekend.

The bookshelves were filled with books, papers and undocumented files that seemed to be unorganized. Her father worked long hours and he usually demanded everything to be organized perfectly, so the fact that nothing seemed to be placed where it should be; surprised her. She frowned at the realization - it felt rather eerie. It wasn't like her father to just leave his office a total mess. Asking him what it was all about wasn't an option as he probably wouldn't give her an answer anyway. She tried to shake the feeling of something being wrong, sat down on the floor and gently started to sort through the piles, documenting them carefully and in alphabetical order - hoping that her father would appreciate it. After half an hour, she leaned back against the shelf and rubbed the back of her neck. A couple of people had returned from their lunch breaks and some of them recognized her and greeted her with smiles on their faces as they passed the door. She closed her eyes and by now she'd really started to regret that she'd skipped her own lunch, her stomach rumbled in protest of not being fed properly.

"Elena?"

 _Oh._ Velvety voice - the sound of sex. Her name on his lips. She stilled immediately as her breath got caught in her throat and goosebumps appeared on her arms, sending shivers down her spine. She opened her eyes, put the file in one of the piles she'd managed to build and rose to her feet - rather ungracefully. Her skinny jeans suddenly felt way too skinny for her liking and she tried to calm her rapid heartbeat before facing him.

It felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her as she laid her eyes on him.

Dressed in a dark suit and a classic white shirt with a black tie - oh yum. He'd rolled up his sleeves and it caused him to look relaxed, professional and extremely hot - all at the same time. His hair was tousled with a touch of messy perfection and she caught herself staring at him. The memories that she'd tried to shut out came rushing back and almost floored her. She grabbed one of the bookshelves, trying to desperately steady herself. Her legs felt like jelly under his blue orbs and she forced herself to find her equilibrium as it had clearly left the room without her consent.

"What are you doing here?"

He seemed surprised to see her and she bit her lower lip in an attempt to keep her mouth shut. She didn't dare to embarrass herself again – better to stay quiet than blurting out another dirty secret - not that she had anything else that could compare to the one she'd revealed a couple of days ago. 'I thought about you while touching myself the other day.' She squirmed and crossed her arms.

"Are you here to see Grayson?" He asked casually. "He had a lunch meeting."

"No." She managed to breathe. "I'm just doing him a favor, he clearly needed some organizing."

She motioned to the pile of files and papers behind her on the floor. A part of her wanted to step forward, push him out of the office and slam the door in his face, letting him know that he was the last person she wanted to bump into right now. The thought of it caused her palm to twitch with an eagerness she'd never experienced before. Somehow, he managed to bring out so many chaotic emotions in her - it was rather exhausting and she was already tired.

They stared at each other quietly and she swallowed nervously. _'Leave me alone.'_ Was she allowed to call security and tell them to handcuff him? She wanted to roll her eyes with unspoken annoyance. Couldn't he see that she was busy and slightly irritated with his unwanted presence?

"I'm busy," She paused. "So if you don't mind..."

"Elena."

Oh, his voice sounded like soft, soft velvet to her ears as per usual and she wanted to turn around in order to block him out, but she took a deep breath instead. 'Be a grown up.'

He surprised her as he entered the office and closed the door behind him, effectively shutting out the rest of the world. She could feel the pain as hopeful butterflies started to explode in her belly and she tried to swallow her tongue. A piece of fear grazed at her insides and she could feel how the walls started to slide closer, trapping her without her consent as his thundering orbs met hers.

"We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about." She whispered, already consumed by his appearance as he moved closer to where she was currently standing.

She felt weak as he stopped just inches away from her, their bodies so close that she could feel the heat roll off of him in explosive waves. Gosh, he reeked of sex and… _well, sex._ He turned her on just by looking at her and her chest hurt as her lungs constricted. Breathing was hard just think about him and seemed rather impossible with him so close. The air vibrated with unspoken need and for a moment she thought she'd noticed a piece of desire flash through his eyes.

"If you hadn't confessed," He tilted his head and eyed her with a trace of passion. "I wouldn't be feeling so damn convinced that the attraction between us is mutual."

She bit her lower lip as the jelly in her legs caused her to stumble, her knees buckling unmercifully. He quickly caught her in his arms, circling her waist and never breaking eye contact with her. With her chest pressed against his, her body started humming appreciatively. ' _No. God no,'_ she thought, judging and cursing her body for the burning sensation that spread throughout her limbs.

How was it possible for a man to be so sinfully hot? His blue orbs pierced her brown ones and she felt naked in front of him and blushed crimson. ' _Focus, Elena, focus.'_ She swallowed the nervous emotions that bubbled inside and forced herself to form words.

"Should I be flattered?" She stammered but tried not to shiver as his arms hardened around her.

"What do you want me to say, Elena?" He asked sternly, his pupils dilating.

"Nothing, I just want you to let me go." She whispered, never breaking eye contact with him.

 _'I want you to ravish me. Right here, on top of the desk.'_ She shook her head, trying to clear her inappropriate thoughts. She tilted her head to look up at him, their faces so close that she could feel his warm breath on her lips - it was quite erotic. Their bodies were so close that the electricity buzzed around them. Elena could feel her heart pump away inside her chest – it was almost too painful to endure and the sound of her own pulse rang in her ears.

* * *

He closed his eyes as if in pain before blinking and meeting her brown globes. The way she looked at him was hot and extremely heartbreaking at the same time. By now he couldn't deny that he felt sexual attraction towards her. He'd spent the last couple of days trying to convince himself that he didn't feel anything but his emotions had almost caused him to scream in frustration. He couldn't get her out of his head.

He'd found himself thinking about her when he least expected it. He'd spent Tuesday night with a fuck buddy and he'd been unable to finish. His body had literally forced himself to realize that he couldn't escape her. Her face followed him everywhere, haunted him and caused him to feel giddy and slightly nauseous. Damon Salvatore didn't do giddy. He'd never been able to describe himself as giddy before and it nagged at him.

The fantasy of placing her on top of the mahogany desk was very, very tempting but he forced himself to keep his hands in check. However, his heart pumped so violently in his chest that nothing else seemed to matter. For a second or two – he felt as if there wasn't enough blood rushing to his brain – it was currently making its way down south instead.

"You've bewitched me." He admitted, his voice raspy.

"What?"

He moved his hands and let them rest on her lower back. She seemed to melt into his embrace and her hands felt hot as they came to rest on his chest. He felt as if he couldn't breathe properly.

"I can't get you out of my head." He confessed, his hands wandering over her back, stroking her with a soft and light touch. "What have you done to me?"

She bit her lower lip and he felt how electricity shot through his veins at the simple act. He wanted to bite that lip so bad, suck it into his mouth, lick it and nibble at it until she begged him to kiss her senseless. Her body radiated heat and he wanted to grab her hips but forced himself to behave.

* * *

"Stop." She pleaded and pulled away, her lower back ached with the loss of his touch. "I don't want to hear it. I can't hear it. You can't say things like that. You have no idea how it affects me."

"It affects me as well." He replied.

She shook her head in denial. What was he talking about? He had no idea how it felt or how it affected her. He seemed just as unaffected as ever - while she felt as if she would fall into pieces at any second if he didn't leave her alone. Her heart slowed down and started to ache - not with want and desperate need but with angst and unspoken anger.

She was angry.

Angry at him for trying to tell her how he felt about the current situation. _'Oh, so he had a problem with the sudden attraction he'd been experiencing for a couple of days?'_ She couldn't pity him, couldn't feel compassion as he searched her eyes with caution. She'd basically been in love with him for years and he'd never looked at her twice; until now. She had to force herself to see the truth. He wasn't in love with her, it was just lust and at that moment - she realized that - that wasn't and wouldn't be enough for her. She was better than that - she deserved better.

She still wanted him - but not like that - not the way he meant and not the way he wanted. All of a sudden, she felt vulnerable and dirty at the thought of them and their bodies pressed together. She was just a potential fuck. She couldn't tell whether it was due to the lack of food or her real feelings at the moment - but her head spun and she felt dizzy.

Elena turned around and grabbed the file she'd been told to retrieve and headed for the locked door. He quickly blocked her and she fiercely met his eyes with a newfound strength and growing confidence.

"Move." She breathed, her voice a lot stronger than before.

He questioningly searched her eyes as if trying to find out if she meant it or not. She braced herself and pressed the file against her aching chest. She glared at him and raised an eyebrow. She forced herself not to waver in her decision.

She must have done something right because he moved out of the way and let her walk away. She reached the elevator before the tears spilled over and emotions got the best of her. Her heart hurt and the panic haunted her all the way back to her car.

Elena dried her tears and glanced at the building and realized that things would never be the same again and that he'd just ruined her world with his sentences.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

**AN;** **I'm on a roll & it's all because of your reviews!**  
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* * *

 **Monday, October 23, 2009**

He'd buried himself in paperwork the entire weekend but it hadn't helped him chase her away because he couldn't even concentrate. Damon was miserable. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't focus. He was tired and he felt physically hurt, his body aching with every move. His brain seemed to project her face whenever and he couldn't shut her out. His dreams had consisted of her in the skinny jeans she'd worn at the office. They'd hugged her curves perfectly and in all the right places. The infatuation he felt for her was purely physical.

He had to get his shit together. His father had noticed the distant look on his face during family dinner last night and he'd blamed it on the lack of sleep, but in fact… He'd been thinking about her, on her knees, in front of him.

' _Damn it.'_ Damon shook his head. ' _Don't go there._ '

He poured himself a cup of black coffee and leaned back against the counter. He would undoubtedly need an extra large dose of coffee in order to get through the day. He couldn't comprehend or get over what had happened between them. He'd approached her and she'd pushed him away. Fine, he couldn't exactly blame her but he hadn't expected her to be so cold either. She'd confessed that she'd been in love with him since her fifteenth birthday.

She'd baffled him. She'd made him stumble. She'd been so headstrong as she'd demanded him to get out of her way. He'd wanted to grab her and kiss her but her eyes had warned him and he'd let her go. He'd wanted to follow her but his feet had been frozen to the ground. Parting from her had been emotionally painful - like a shot through the heart, causing him to bleed to death.

He'd tried to figure out what he felt but it was difficult. He definitely felt lust and arousal but what else? She'd been in love with him for years and he felt a bit ashamed that he couldn't reciprocate her feelings. Ashamed that he couldn't give her what she'd wanted for so long.

He cared for her, he really did but… He wasn't in love with her, yet he wanted her naked and ready in his bed. It made no sense. He couldn't offer her anything - except from sex, which wasn't really a sane option either. She'd been an unimportant part of his life for so many years and one hot makeout session had changed everything. He couldn't think about her without feeling desire and his heart skipping a beat. He couldn't explain any of it and it bothered him - badly.

She'd acted so mature and grown at the office. She'd pushed him away. She'd made sure that he knew just how little she trusted him and the things going through his own mind.

Damon emptied his cup and hissed as the warm liquid burned the back of his throat. He would have to talk to her. He couldn't possibly continue like this. He wanted to share his thoughts with her but didn't know how to explain it all without hurting her. He wanted to talk to her, face to face not matter how embarrassing the thought of it was. Damon was a good lawyer, he knew how to put things into perspective.

He decided that he would call her before going to work. They needed to talk and bury all of it so that he could continue to go on about his life the way he was used to.

* * *

"You look like hell." The blonde eyed her friend as they met outside the school.

Elena rolled her eyes and pulled a hand through her hair. She felt rather exhausted and shrugged as casually as possible. She hadn't mentioned Damon, though Caroline had tried to snoop for dirty details. Elena didn't want to share any of it with her friend. It was personal - way too personal.

Thursday night she'd cried herself to sleep - unable to hold back the emotions and the related tears. Such a big part of her had just wanted to throw herself into his arms but he'd somehow felt so far away. She was in love with him and he pitied her because he couldn't replicate those feelings. She wouldn't let herself become a charity case that he could fix. He hadn't stopped her nor had she wanted him too. Another part of her - a darker part - had wanted him to try and stop her just so that she could get the chance to say no.

Friday morning had been okay and the rest of the weekend had been packed with extra homework and various yoga workouts. Doing yoga usually helped to clear her mind but at Sunday afternoon she'd realized that she'd felt quite fine - considering the circumstances.

Damon had crossed her mind more than once and she'd felt her heart ache for a moment or two but that was it. She'd felt pretty content. She'd accepted the fact that there couldn't be anything between them. She still wanted him, was still in love with him but why pine after someone who would probably never see her as a human being? It was a lot easier to let go knowing that what he felt towards her only had to do with sex and arousal.

It had been difficult to just walk away that day but she'd felt strong and okay with her choice. He'd seemed baffled and she'd felt sad at that moment but as of now - she felt… lighter and not as desperate for his attention. And yes, she'd felt quite powerful while walking away. She'd forced herself not to turn around and beg him to ravish her - it had been very difficult - but it had been worth it.

She'd had a lot of time to think during the weekend and she'd come to a conclusion. Elena knew that he wasn't interested, he'd made that perfectly clear as she obviously wasn't his type. She'd also thought about what a future with Damon could've looked like. The eleven year age gap didn't bother her but she could possibly imagine them wanting different things in life due to the gap between them. He had more experience, he'd traveled, he had different references and cultural frames. Their life experiences could be described as vastly different.

Different wasn't always bad but they'd likely have priorities that didn't match one another's. Would she even fit in with other areas of his life if they had a relationship? Would his same-age friends judge him for dating a 'kid?' She'd decided to accept that yes, she was in love with him and a part of her probably always would be but… The best for her would be to let go. Just the mere thought of it hurt but chasing a man that didn't want her the same way felt slightly humiliating and Elena had more character than that.

"Thank you." She smiled and continued to walk across the parking lot with Caroline in tow. "You look lovely as well."

"I'm just saying that maybe you should go on a date."

Elena turned to look at her friend, she crossed her arms in protest, raised an eyebrow and shook her head. Caroline had set her up before and even though she'd meant well most of those dates had ended with Elena leaving before it was over.

"I don't want to date. I'm focusing on school."

"Boring." Caroline whined. "You need some sausage."

"Sausage?"

They looked at each other before bursting out with lighthearted laughter. How was it possible for her father to actually dislike Caroline? The blonde made her laugh and Elena valued their friendship. Elena didn't tell her everything but she'd always been there for her. Caroline was loyal and a kindred spirit. Elena could be herself around her and it was a blessing to say the least. She had a light sense of humor, knew how to make others smile and Elena loved that about her. She had a tendency to fall for gossip but that was just who she was and Elena wouldn't want her friend in any other way. If only her father could see the loving side of the blonde as well.

Just as they were about to enter the school her phone buzzed in her pocket. She motioned for Caroline to go ahead and the blonde sent her a crooked smile as she started walking and left her friend behind. They didn't have any classes together on Mondays and would probably not get the chance to talk until tomorrow morning. Caroline turned and walked backwards, she blew her friend a kiss and Elena smiled at her.

She managed to fish the phone out of her back pocket and realized that it was an unknown number. She frowned, waited a couple of second before deciding to answer and stumbled once the voice reached her ear. She leaned against the wall, supporting her jelly legs.

"I know it's weird that I'm calling you like this but I was wondering if you have any lunch plans today?"

"Lunch plans? Why?" She tried her best to sound casual and indifferent.

"We need to talk about what happened, Elena."

 _Nope_ , that was the last thing she wanted to do. She'd finally decided to put it all behind her and forget about it and now this? If this was a joke to tease her and stir up emotions… She bit her lower lip. No, she wouldn't meet up with him. _No way._

"Please." She paused, trying to steady her voice. "Please, just forget it ever happened. Okay?"

"Fuck." He breathed. "I can't just forget it."

What the hell did he want from her? He'd made it perfectly clear that he didn't have any feelings for her - except from lust and arousal. It was flattering and caused her heart to beat rapidly in her chest, her body reacting to the thought of him naked above her but… She wanted more than that. She refused to be a single, insignificant fuck in order for him to satisfy his needs. Because that was what he wanted, was it not? Did he think that he could use her just because she was in love with him? She respected herself more than that - it was something that she'd realized when her father had said he'd felt ashamed of her. She never wanted to feel like that again.

"What do you mean?"

" I have to see you. I need to see you. You may not have anything to say, but I do."

' _No. Don't give in. Be strong. Elena. Do not give in._ ' She tried to will her racing heart to calm down but to no avail.

She gave up and promised to meet up with him at a restaurant downtown.

* * *

He met her outside the restaurant, with his hands in his pockets, dressed up in a dark suit with a matching tie. His hair wasn't as tousled and messy as usual but it didn't matter. She'd informed herself that she wouldn't stare or ogle him with an open mouth, yet she couldn't stop herself. He was gorgeous and for a moment, she felt how her decision to act like a grown up started to dissolve itself in protest.

"Hi." He greeted her.

"Hi."

"You look nice."

She looked at her feet and became nervous and nauseous within seconds. However, his simple touch helped and soothed her a little as he placed a hand at her lower back and escorted her through the glass doors and steered her to a remote booth at the end of the room.

It was a nice restaurant. Very nice. _Too nice._ She felt quite plain in her black tights, white dress, leather jacket and worn out Converse. Many of the other guests wore exclusive clothes and she felt undeniably misplaced.

The interior was beautiful and even though the dark colors of the furniture didn't match the rest of the tapestry - the space felt very modern and raw. The music playing in the background helped ease her nervousness a little and she took a seat. The couch cushion on her side of the booth was soft and made of black leather, giving it a very rustic and somewhat sexy look. A waist high wall of frosted glass isolated them from the rest of the people and for that, she was thankful. Who knew what kind of spectacle she would managed to create?

He caught her eye and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips and that's when she saw it. Sympathy? _Pity?_ Her walls collapsed and then, all of a sudden it felt too private. He'd planned to do this as nice as possible and for a moment she thought about running. Like seriously; just grab her stuff and get out of there without looking back. The strength she'd decided to use for this meeting seemed to fade out into nothing.

It didn't help that she was suffering from current PMS but - hell, her emotions played with her, yelled at her to open the door to whatever it was that he was about to offer her.

He sat down opposite her and she felt thankful for the distance between them. She felt tense and shifted in her seat. Her emotions messed up her judgement and she took a deep breath, hoping it would help. Her equilibrium seemed to run and hide at the thought of him. She didn't know where to look. It was difficult to even peek at him without starting to drool. She prayed that she would be able to keep it together.

* * *

"How's school?"

She raised an eyebrow and he wanted to facepalm himself, bang his head against the wall behind him and curse at the stupidity. What a wonderful opening to an already tense meeting. They were both aware of the age difference but it wasn't like he had to mention it every now and then. He sent her an apologetic look.

"Stressful." She answered, fumbling with her hands.

He nodded, understanding her. Was she as nervous as he was? He'd been slightly irritated at work, he'd forgotten things and he'd been daydreaming about the upcoming lunch with her. He'd even counted the hours and he rarely felt nervous and yet, the girl - ahem, the young woman - sitting across from him, managed to bring out emotions he wasn't exactly accustomed to. It was nerve wracking so therefore - nervous. A double whiskey would have soothed him but no.

The fact that she looked gorgeous and self confident didn't help in stopping his naughty and very inappropriate thoughts from running wild. She was absolutely beautiful in her white dress, so casual yet breathtaking. Meeting her at the restaurant had seemed like such a good idea but he regretted it as she bit her lower lip, her eyes carefully searching his. His heart leapt in his chest and he panted, unable to hold back as the simple lip biting of hers got his body to respond with so much ferocity that he almost felt is as if he'd been knocked out cold.

"I've been a douche." He said. "I've made a bunch of stupid mistakes."

She flinched at his words and her face changed, the color on her cheeks fading into white, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.  
Damon quickly realized what he'd just said and tried to fix it as quickly as possible.

"No, no." He hurried. "Not the kiss. That was, it was… it was amazing."

He could feel himself smile as she blushed crimson and he couldn't help but to think she looked adorable as she squirmed in her seat. Her innocence was striking and his heart constricted in his chest. She nodded quietly, motioning for him to continue.

"It was a great kiss and believe me when I say that the guy who gets you, will be one lucky man." He meant every damn word, she had to feel the sincerity. "You're amazing. I meant that I've been acting stupid, hence making mistakes. "

He made her nervous and slightly embarrassed as the color of her cheeks slowly returned and she crossed her legs. She seemed lost in thought for a minute and then - as if on cue - they looked at each other.

"But?" She whispered. "There's a but."

"But, I can't happen again. I could probably count the number of reasons as to why it can never happen again." He said and hoped that she wouldn't start crying - cause that would have him wavering for sure.

He'd made a decision regarding how to handle the situation and he couldn't back out now. He had to stick to the plan no matter what. As a lawyer, he was familiar with the law and as she was 18, she was considered a legal adult and could freely choose who to date if she wanted to. But, the eleven year age gap scared him, it would be a big deal - it was a big deal.

They would always be at different stages in their lives. It could possibly work short term but Elena wanted nothing temporary and he could understand that, as she was quite extraordinary herself. He'd forced himself to think about the future. Would she go to fraternity parties while he worked late on his newest case? It wasn't like he could join her - he would be the oldest guy there. He'd never thought much about marriage and children before but the current situation had forced him to think about it whether he wanted to or not. The sound of her voice brought him back to reality.

"It's okay, Damon. I'm not stupid. I get it." She tried to sound confident. "I'm too young, immature and… I'm not your type."

"Elena, that's…" He trailed off.

' _Yes, yes you are. I'm so attracted to you. I can't explain it. It's driving me insane._ ' He wanted to say those things, wanted to assure her that she was gorgeous, beautiful, hot, sexy and seductive but he couldn't.

Damon could see her lower lip starting to shiver as she tried to find enough strength to look at him. He could see her eyes filling with tears and he grimaced. _'Ah, no. Please, no tears._ ' Anger? Yes, he could handle that - to be honest, he prefered it. Tears? Not so much.

"Elena." He begged, wanting to reach out for her hands but she held them in her lap.

She nodded at him, trying to convince him that everything was fine, but as the first tear rolled down her cheek his heart felt as if it had been pierced by a sword, splitting it into two. It felt as if a part of him died - shit, it was hard to breathe. He loosened his tie. He looked over his shoulder and motioned for the approaching waiter to leave them alone. Their booth was private and he'd chosen the restaurant due to the distance between other dinner guests as he'd wanted to talk without being interrupted by others.

He cursed under his breath and got up from his seat and slid in next to her. He gathered her in his arms without hesitation and held her close to his chest. She pressed her face into the crock of his neck, stained his skin with salty droplets of tears. He rubbed his hands up and down her back, inhaled her scent as she formed her frame after his.

If she hadn't been crying, he probably would've turned to stone in his pants but the action wasn't one of lust. The situation wasn't arousing in any way - it was comforting, safety. She cried and he held her, did his best to comfort. It was affectionately and something that he'd never experienced before. She made him feel things he had never experienced before and he didn't always know how to handle it. It scared the shit out of him.

He soothed her as one of her hands came to rest on his hip under the black jacket, the other resting on his chest, seeking comfort. Damon could feel the intensity of just holding her in his arms. He'd tried to think of her as a little sister but the affection that exploded inside him was nothing a brother should feel for a sister. He sighed with a twinge of pleasure as she nuzzled the delicate skin where neck and shoulder met. He kissed her cheek in an attempt to comfort and she froze in his arms. 'Shit.' It had felt so natural but she'd reacted as if he'd burned her skin with his affectionate movement.

He couldn't form words so he froze as well and realized the stupidity of his earlier action. ' _Stop it. You've already decided not to take this any further. Stick with your original plan. Mixed signals sucks.'_

She slowly pulled away and tilted her head in order to look up at him. Her brown orbs radiated warmth and a couple of emotions he couldn't name. He carefully caressed her face with one hand and used a thumb to stroke her cheek, drying a couple of her tears that had finally started to subside.

"I'm fine." She assured quietly.

"I'm not." He admitted as an imminent fear that she would pull away at any second, caused him to tighten his grip around her waist. Her eyes drew him unconsciously or consciously closer. "I'm not okay, Elena."

"Damon." She mumbled and another tear rolled down her face.

How was it possible for her to just say his name like that and make him feel as if he was about to break unless he kissed her?

He shouldn't but for a second, he didn't care.

"I have to kiss you goodbye. Just once." He gulped, nervous and scared that she would say no, as he probably deserved it. "If you want me to."

He could see her as she closed her eyes and tried to hold back her tears. Her breath grazed his lips and he leaned closer to her. He caught her lips with a soft movement, chaste, graceful and painfully slow.

* * *

She couldn't help herself and parted her lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss if he wanted to. He caught her with surprise as he parted his own lips, allowing her to meet him as she accepted his invitation. She felt her heart beat furiously while he slid his tongue along her lower lip, nibbling at the her. A sigh escaped her and their tongues found each other, mixing and struggling to explore with a pace that both of them found pleasurable.

And even though she felt as if he held the key to the air that she breathed - it wasn't rushed. Nothing about it felt stressed or wrong - just, right and so, so light. Their hands rested on the other's body and a sense of calm satisfaction warmed her heart.

It was tender and not as passionately brutal and rough as it had been in his apartment. This kiss was different. It was respectful, exploratory, loving and soft but it still managed to get her all riled up. Her heart raced with a furious pace in her chest.

He slowly withdrew to inhale and rubbed his nose against hers, simple yet so full of affection and emotion.

"It can never work." He mumbled, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I know." She sighed with dejection as his mouth found hers once again and left butterfly kisses all over it.

"You have to let me go."

"You first." She breathed and fisted his shirt in her hand as if trying to prove that parting would hurt them both something fierce. "You have to do it, because I can't."

* * *

He kissed her one last time and pulled away. She seemed calm but you could still tell that she'd been crying. His stomach ached as she used the napkin to dry the remnants of tears and running mascara. He stroked her cheek and she forced a smile as she gulped.

They'd skipped lunch as both of them had lost their appetite. He'd brought her to a nice little deli a couple of blocks away, where they sold salads, paninis and smoothies. She had ordered a smoothie with blueberry, pomegranate and banana. He'd ordered the same and she'd resisted when he'd paid. He'd sent a stern look her way and she'd nodded thanks.

They'd chosen to stroll through the park, sipping on their smoothies as the silence between them had been awkward - it would have been a lot easier to just kiss her again but he forced himself not to think about it. Something slowly seemed to shift between them and they managed to talk about everything and nothing in between. It was as if the kiss had been an icebreaker as it had helped them relax. They'd both needed it. He'd felt a lot lighter as they'd walked side by side. The restaurant had been a bad choice but to breathe in the fresh air while walking had soothed them.

He had been attentive and curious as she'd rambled on and on about all sorts of things. She was smart and funny. He gradually started to relax more and more and found himself actually enjoying her company. She was a delight to the eye and so carefree, warm and… She was Elena - this, this was the Elena that he'd never cared about knowing as anything else than an acquaintance to his parents.

He was hit with the feeling of things ending too soon for his liking as they reached his car. He checked his watch and inhaled deeply.

"I have to get back to the office. Do you want a ride?"

' _Please, say yes_.' He thought just a second before she turned him down. Apparently, she needed fresh air and some time alone to sort through her thoughts before meeting up with her friends. He understood the feeling - he felt it too, but that didn't necessarily mean that he wanted to part from her. He nodded at her, trying to reel in the feelings of some sort of weird separation anxiety that brewed inside him. He wanted to touch her and opted to give her a hug but she backed away and stopped just out of his reach.

"What did I do wrong?" He asked, rather puzzled at her avoiding behavior.

They'd talked openly while strolling through the park. They'd talked about her feelings and they'd been very open about it all. He'd made sure she knew that it wasn't her fault. He'd made sure to tell her that she was beautiful and attractive but that nothing could happen between them. He'd been a little surprised at the way she'd accepted it all so easily. He'd almost expected some sort of demonstration as to why they could be together, but no. He should've been happy that she'd accepted everything but there was something about it that bothered him.

"I can't hug you right now." She dismissed him with a raised hand and he frowned. "I'm on a Damon-detox and it doesn't work effectively if you touch me."

She didn't mean to hurt him with those words but it was the truth being spoken. She could feel the electricity between them, it buzzed in the air and if he so much as laid a hand on her shoulder; lightning would surely struck and she wasn't prepared for that to happen. She would have to guard her own space if staying away from him wasn't doomed to fail completely. It hurt that he wanted to touch her but she wouldn't let him - fear could be overpowering sometimes.

"Yeah, sorry." He excused and put his hands in his pockets, hoping that it would stop his hands from reaching out to touch her. "My bad."

* * *

He looked so handsome and elegant in his business suit, yet there was something relaxing about him and it calmed her. He seemed okay with everything and she felt quite okay as well. It had been so down to earth - a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and things didn't feel as awkward anymore.

"Maybe," She paused. "We could be friends. Someday."

"I'd like that very much." He meant it with every fiber of his being. "I'll even help you with your homework if you ask nicely."

 _What_? She frowned at him and he raised an eyebrow, smirking lightly. Oh, he was making a joke. Elena couldn't help but to smile at him, showing off her white teeth. She shook her head at him and he shrugged casually. His joke had made them both laugh and the atmosphere changed to a less buzzing and much more lighter one. It was nice, easy and close to what she'd always imagined it being between them - natural.

"I'll remember that." She teased and turned around to walk away, wanting to leave him on a good note.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

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* * *

 **Sunday, November 8, 2009**

He felt like shit.

His previous problems with decent sleep had only gotten worse since their day at the restaurant. He felt empty, distracted and grumpy and he'd never been grumpy before - not even once. He hadn't seen any of his friends due to being so stressed about life in general - except from Andie. He'd been in bed with her one night and his body had denied him the erection he'd craved. She'd questioned if he was sick or if she'd done something wrong - but it wasn't her fault that she wasn't Elena.

"What is going on with you?" Andie gazed at him, disappointed at his unwillingness to even look at her. "Are you s–?"

"I'm not sick." He snorted and glanced at her. "I'm just not in the mood."

"Since when are you not in the mood?" She rested her hands on her hips.

 _'I've been asking myself the same question for weeks now._ ' He thought and sipped his beer as the blonde sat down beside him and crossed her long legs. She'd dressed up in red sexy underwear - hoping to get his full attention but he just didn't care. He felt no desire to bury himself inside her.

He was sprawled out on his sofa, tired and annoyed with life and the way things seemed to get messed up no matter what he did. He hadn't heard a single word from Elena. And who could blame her? He'd actually hoped that she would call him, begging for help with homework. Hell, it didn't even had to have been homework she needed help with.

"I'm always working," He explained. "Therefore, I'm always tired."

"It's never stopped you before, besides it's recurring." Andie eyed him suspiciously. "This isn't the first time it's happening. Are you sure you're not sick?"

"I'm not sick." He groaned. "You're not helping by mentioning it all the time. Let's just watch a movie or something."

"So, it's me? I'm the problem."

"Huh," He turned to look at her, ignoring the TV. "What?"

"You don't find me attractive anymore."

He sighed. ' _No. You're still beautiful, I'm just messed up right now_.' It wasn't her fault. Andie was beautiful, sexy and great in bed but he just couldn't seem to get his dick to function properly. His head, heart and body seemed to run in three different directions and sex was the last thing on his mind.

He wanted to sleep a whole night without dreaming about her, a whole night without waking up sweaty and panting her name as he closed in on his release. He would be throbbing inside his underwear, pulsating hard and reminding him of what he wanted but couldn't have.

He didn't want Andie to stay the night anymore, didn't want to share a bed with her, didn't want her to wake up to his moaning and tense body as it craved release - screaming for an orgasm he couldn't reach. It was also one of the reasons as to why he'd stopped sleeping with her. The fear of failure and his body not cooperating caused him to back away. His mental state wasn't one to brag about. He barely managed to hold his shit together without crumbling.

It would pass. He just had to endure.

It wouldn't - couldn't - storm forever.

* * *

 **Monday, November 9, 2009**

Damon groaned as he sipped on his coffee, the hot liquid burned the back of his throat, causing him to hiss and grimace.

Elena had continued to chase his dreams - haunting them, driving him to the brink of insanity, waking up sweaty and panting every single night. One night of undisturbed sleep - was that really too much to ask for?

Alaric - his colleague, friend and closest confidante had mentioned that he looked like shit the other day and Damon hadn't been able to disagree with him. Life had been quite colorful but something had changed and he'd forced himself into denying that it had anything to do with Elena. No person, no matter how beautiful - could affect another so bad that they felt like shit.

"Okay, buddy. We need to talk." Ric entered their shared office, a cup of coffee in his hand, a file in the other and shut the door. He took a seat in front of Damon's desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've known you for a long time and I can tell that there's something bothering you. I have to admit that I kind of expected you to tell me what's going on but I've lost hope. So, I'm just going to ask you - what's wrong? Are you in trouble? Is there something I can do?"

"Ric." Damon started, trying to form a sentence in his head. "It's nothing."

He'd considered talking to Ric about it, share with his friend but something inside him wanted to keep it to himself. It was personal and he wasn't sure on how the sandy haired man would react if he knew the reason to his friend's crazy way of behaving as of lately.

"No bullshit." He warned him. "Tell me the truth."

"There's nothing to tell."

"Do you remember that time when I accidentally got married in Vegas and you helped me get through the divorce without the entire world knowing about it?"

Damon snickered at the memory of his friend calling him in panic from a hotel room in Vegas. Ric had been close to losing himself as he'd somehow lost 'his wife' without knowing who he'd married. Damon had met up with him and he'd taken care of the mess that his friend had made. It had been difficult to go through the divorce due to the fact that the bride was unwilling to meet them halfway. Eventually, Damon had managed to solve the problem without Ric having a heart attack on the plane back home.

They'd never mentioned it again since that day, so the fact that his friend willingly brought it up, proved that he was deadly serious. He decided that he could twist the truth a little bit - or a lot - without sharing too much.

"Fine." Damon sighed. "I've met someone."

"Ha, nice try. You're not getting off the hook that easily." Ric chuckled.

Damon eyed him sternly and crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair, patiently waiting for his friend's brain to actually catch up with the information. He'd told him about Andie and that he didn't have any other kind of relationships, so the surprised look on his face was real.

"Oh, you're serious?"

"Yeah, well, it's complicated." Complicated was the understatement of the fricking year.

"You're always complicated."

"True." Damon agreed. "It's just that she's younger and–"

"Younger could be nice, besides a couple of years isn't that bad. You might be able to teach her something out of value. However, I do prefer the whole cougar thing, older women. It sounds sexy."

"Well," Damon rolled his eyes and snickered at his friend. "She's younger."

"Okay, why does that sound like it could be a problem?" Ric frowned, curious. " I mean, how... how much younger are we talking about?"

"Younger." Damon nodded, emptied his cup and pulled a hand over his face, trying to hide the fact that his cheeks turned pink.

"What, like five years younger?" Ric sipped on his coffee.

"Try doubling it."

Damon grimaced as his friend almost choke on the warm liquid and started coughing, his eyes watery and red because of the sudden lack of oxygen. The reaction was quite priceless and he forced himself not to laugh as Ric gasped for air.

"Holy crap, are you kidding? Is she even out of preschool yet?" Ric looked incredulously at him, coughing, trying to figure out whether he was joking or not.

"She's eighteen."

"That's young."

"I know." Damon gritted his teeth, annoyed at his friend for stating the obvious - as if he didn't know? He should've kept his mouth shut.

"Is it serious?"

He wanted to say yes but couldn't. There was electricity between them but that was it. He'd been the one to let go as she'd begged him to at the restaurant. He couldn't pull her back and tell her how she still invaded his mind. He couldn't just call her and tell her that he was willing to give her whatever she wanted, just as long as he got her. However, just the mere thought of another man roaming her body got him nauseous and frustrated.

"No. There's nothing going on between us. I've rejected her and like you said, she's too young."

"I never said that. I said she was young, not too young." Ric enlightened him with a raised eyebrow.

"So?" Damon frowned, trying to contemplate the meaning behind those words.

"I'd say go for it."

It was Damon's turn to choke on his coffee. He started coughing, desperately trying to fill his lungs with the missing oxygen, his chest heaving, his eyes watering. He eyed his friend suspiciously as he tried to catch his breath.

"You said it yourself," He argued. "She's eighteen."

The frustration had caused him to sound colder and a lot more heated than what he'd intended. He shook his head at his friend, wordlessly apologizing with a nod.

"So?" Ric shrugged casually. "She's an adult according to law and you're not getting married. It's just a fling, Damon."

"Are you encouraging me to have a fling with an eighteen year old?" He joked, hoping to lighten up the discussion as the air felt heavy in their office. "Alaric Saltzman, I am shocked."

"I'm encouraging you to get your shit together and if that means having a fling with someone who could be your daughter, then fine."

Damon glared at him and his friend laughed innocently, raising his hands in defeat. Ric meant well. But fear still held Damon back. He wanted to call her, ease his body with the sound of her soft voice. He wanted her in every way possible.

"Even if it means–"

"Yes." Ric nodded. "Do what you need to do. Get your shit together, because I need you. I need my friend and as of right now, you're just a shell of the Damon I used to know."

* * *

 **Monday, November 9, 2009**

She hadn't seen him since their lunch meeting in October and she felt okay with the way her life was going. School took up most of her free time and she'd tried her best not to volunteer to help her father at the office. Thankfully, he hadn't asked her to assist either.

They'd parted on good terms with each other and her 'Damon- _detox_ ' had helped her focus on raising her grades and taking care of herself - body and soul.

Of course, the thought of him hurt - hence the reason as to why she'd stayed away from family gatherings and such. She'd spent a lot of time with Caroline and a lot less with her parents - who'd started to worry about her daily and calm demeanor. They'd used to describe her as full of life and energetic but as of lately - they'd started to look worried and confused. Elena couldn't blame them. Her sanity had started to fade. The last couple of days had been a lot harder than she wanted to admit.

She thought about him whenever her brain allowed her to rest, so she'd forced herself to stay occupied. There'd been times when she'd thought about making up a lie about a nonexistent essay and ask for his help and guidance but she'd stopped herself. That would be sinking too low, even for her.

Damon's face had a way of nestling its way into her head, causing her to feel exposed and alone in so many ways. She ached, missed him - felt as if a part of her was slowly dying and there was nothing she could do to stop it from happening.

"Sweetheart?" Her mother entered her room. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"No." Elena shook her head, slightly confused.

She brushed her hair and put it up in a high and messy ponytail. Elena eyed herself in the mirror. She was supposed to meet Brett at Barbara's for some lunch and a much needed study session. They got along very well and he was a nice guy. They had a couple of assignments due on Friday and Elena wanted to stay on track as Christmas was heading their way. Brett had no objections to her perfectionism and she was grateful. He was easy to talk to and had a nice sense of humor. She'd never felt stupid in his company.

"You've been distant."Miranda took a seat by the window and eyed her daughter as she applied mascara. "Are you sure everything's okay? I'm worried about you."

' _Yes._ ' She thought. ' _I'm fine. Except my heart is bleeding and I can't do anything to stop it._ ' She'd tried her best to be brave and soldier on but it was difficult. People might've considered that she looked calm and collected on the outside the last couple of weeks, but on the inside she was screaming. _Loudly_.

"I'm fine. Just busy and occupied with school."

"I know but you're working so hard. Honey, I just think that you should slow down and enjoy life for a second or two." Miranda sent her a motherly smile.

"I enjoy life." She assured, not entirely convincing herself.

Her mother rose from her seat, walked over to her, put a hand on her cheek and shook her head. "Then why is the smile on your face a fake one?"

Elena could feel how her insides screamed at the fact that her mother knew her better than she sometimes thought or even wanted to admit. Even Caroline had noticed the blank stare in her friend's eyes. She wanted to talk to them, discuss how her body felt physically hurt but she couldn't. Not that there was much to talk about but still - she missed sharing things with the people she loved. Her father on the other hand - was as oblivious as always and truth be told, she didn't care. It was probably a wise choice to keep him in the dark.

She missed her brother. He always managed to draw the secrets out of her and without even trying, sometimes. It was annoying but if he'd been home she would've probably welcomed it. She felt as if she was about to burst with the secret inside and how it affected her. It felt like a heavy burden she couldn't get rid off.

"You're not pregnant are you?"

"What? No! You have to have sex to get pregnant."

"Ah!" Miranda gasped and clasped her hands together as if praying. "Thank you."

"Mom, if I'd been pregnant," Elena locked eyes with her mother, wanting to reassure her. "You'd be the first to know."

* * *

He entered the cafe - Barbara's was a favorite and their lunch boxes were to die for - besides he'd had to get out of the office and had offered to buy lunch for some of his colleagues. He needed to stretch his body and breathe in the fresh air. Barbara greeted him with a huge smile, motioning for him to have a seat as she ran off to the kitchen. She was a sturdy woman with a lot of knowledge about all of her customers.

Damon was just about to sit down at the counter as he recognized the female sitting alone at one of the corner booths. Books and certain papers covered the table and she looked gorgeous in a grey cardigan, dark jeans, her straight her shining as the light found its way through the wall of glass behind her. ' _So beautiful._ '

His heart started beating furiously in his chest and he smiled, remembering the conversation he'd had with Ric. However, the smile faded away quickly as a blonde guy sat down across from her. Elena smiled and nodded at something he said. Damon eyed them as the young douche handed her a pen, pointing at one of the books.

Something inside him shifted as the douche moved closer to her. Jealousy spread through him as he put an arm around Elena, whispering in her ear. It seemed so intimate and inappropriate. Was she on a date? His heart ached at the thought of someone else holding her tight, kissing her, entering her and claiming her and her body. He eyed them for another minute, before clenching his jaw, grimacing and walking over to them.

"Elena."

She looked up at him and froze immediately, her smile disappearing within a flash of a single second. Her brown eyes mesmerized him and pulled him in – _unmercifully_. The intensity of their eyes locking had him turn into someone he didn't recognize, possession clawing at his insides. He rarely felt jealous but this was different. It had to be more of a protective jealousy, the kind that only a big brother could understand and feel for a younger sister - at least that's what he tried telling himself.

"Damon." She blinked, broke eye contact. "Uhm, Brett, this is Damon. One of my father's colleagues."

' _Ha_!' He wanted to chuckle with sarcasm. ' _Oh, really_?' Colleague? Not a family friend or a close acquaintance? He gritted his teeth at her presentation of him and tried to compose and put aside the emotions running wild inside him as Brett shook his hand. Brett was the typical high schooler, probably popular and captain of the football team.

"We need to talk." He nodded towards the bathroom door across from their booth and left before she had the chance to reply.

Damon could hear how she excused herself and hurried after him. He opened the door for her, pushed her inside, almost slammed the door shut and locked it behind them. By now, the jealousy had turned into a new and unknown feeling of dark and unshed anger in his chest. It pulsated through his veins and he didn't like it. He resisted the urge to grab her and shake some sense into that pretty little head of hers. _'I shouldn't be jealous, you're not even mine.'_ He tried to remind himself.

They just stood there, watching one another, their breathing slightly erratic. Damon gulped as she bit her lower lip in an attempt to hide her nervousness, her entire body language screamed submissive. It was weird but he felt majorly turned on by just looking at her as she fumbled with her hands. What was she doing to his body, mind and soul? How did she manage to have him act like a fourteen year old with a flashlight barely hidden in his pants?

' _Control_.' He thought.

"Who's the douche?" He asked, casually crossing his arms.

"He's my study partner."

"He was drooling all over you. Wouldn't exactly call that a study partner."

"No." Her smile faded away into nothing but a blank stare. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"What?" Damon snapped, sounding harsher than he'd intended. "What is it?"

"You're being territorial."

He snorted at her words - territorial was a word people used when protecting things they already owned. He wasn't territorial or jealous. He was mad. He felt anger bubble inside him as she eyed him without blinking. He'd pissed her off and she was obviously ready for a fight, there was nothing submissive-like about her strong posture.

"No, I'm not." He argued. "I'm just looking out for you."

She raised her eyebrows and shook her head in disapproval, annoyed with the unwanted intrusion in her social life. "I don't need you to babysit me. He's just a friend."

"Oh yeah?"

"Besides, the only douche here," She pointed at him. "Is you."

She pushed passed him, unlocked the door and stepped out. He grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her back inside the bathroom. He wasn't finished yet. His breath got caught in his throat - he'd never seen those brown orbs turn black so fast before. She glared at him and the fire started burning brightly in her eyes. Panic struck him - he'd ruined it. He had to fix it.

"Elena." He begged, unsure of what to say.

"No." She shook her head, almost screaming at him. "We decided that there was nothing going on. You said so yourself and I've tried my best to move on and now this."

"What do you want me to say?" He growled back at her.

"You can't act like this. It's confusing me."

He quickly realized the truth behind her words and had to admit that he was sending her mixed signals and he cursed under his breath. The earlier discussion he'd had with Ric seemed to pop up in the back of his mind. Not that it helped, she still glared at him with a newfound intensity.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to– Fuck." He pulled a hand through his hair, slightly nervous.

"You agreed to be friends." She said, less angry than before. "A friend wouldn't act like this. Get your shit together because you're ruining me with your mood swings."

And then she left, slammed the door in his face without as much as looking back over her shoulder.

 _'Get your shit together._ ' She'd uttered the same words that Ric had thrown at him earlier and coming from her, it hit home, badly. ' _Fuck_.' He slammed his hand against the wall and hissed at the burning sensation spreading across his palm. He had to get his shit together or they would both fall apart at the seams.

* * *

 **Friday, November 20, 2009**

He'd been soul searching for a week. He'd been replaying their latest encounter in his head, changing his words to ones of admiration and politeness but he couldn't change what had happened in reality. He'd been a douche that day. He'd acted possessive without having the right to. No wonder she'd exploded and slammed the door in his face. He'd deserved it.

Damon left the kitchen as he'd made sure his mother's cake recipes had been followed to the point of perfection. His father's birthday had always been his mother's favorite family gathering. She'd spent weeks preparing the menu, discussing the decorations and hiring a catering firm with a respectable reputation. Elizabeth Salvatore was the queen of party planners and none dared to challenge her. She'd built herself a name as a professional party planner during his childhood and she had a lot of experience, yet her nerves always got the best of her each year as her husband's birthday approached.

He assured his mother that everything was as perfect as she'd hoped and left his parents by the front door as they continued to greet the numerous guests that had been invited to celebrate Giuseppe Salvatore. He made his way towards the ball room, knowing that his mother would send him on a mingling spree unless he behaved and at least stopped to chat with some of the people.

His heart started beating furiously in his chest as he sensed her presence in the room.

She turned to the side and his breath got caught in his throat. She looked absolutely stunning in a green dress that ended just above her knee; showing off her long legs, black heels and her dark hair braided to the side. She wore white pearl earrings, her makeup light and soft. He knew that beauty wasn't all about looks, make up, clothes or accessories. True beauty was founded in one's strength of being themselves. _'Confidence breeds beauty.'_

Damon could feel how his intestines somersaulted at the sight of her. _Okay_. He had to admit that, that was no girl - that was a very beautiful and attractive - woman. She eyed the huge painting on the wall, mesmerized by the impressive artwork that his mother had bought almost twenty years ago.

He stopped shortly to greet some acquaintances and colleagues before steering his feet towards her - gravity pulling him closer. He tried to breathe as he lost a part of his sanity the second she turned around to face him and his eyes found hers. And then it hit him. ' _No_.' Those eyes managed to electrocute him and he felt his legs turning into something similar to overcooked pasta. Emotions hit him like a train wreck crashing through a brick wall and he remembered something his mother had said a couple of years ago. _'When you meet the one who changes the way your heart beats, dance with them to that rhythm for as long as the song lasts.'_

His heart ached at the sudden realization and he felt the intense need to tell her, spill the secret of his feelings and how he couldn't cut her out of his life or head. He couldn't ignore her. He couldn't possibly act as it there was nothing going on between them anymore. He didn't exactly know what was going on between them but there was something - something that buzzed with sizzling electricity and caused his heart to leap in his chest whenever he saw her. He had to give it a try, if she still wanted him.

' _Shit_.' He felt something and it was undeniable.

* * *

Elena parted from her parents as they entered the mansion that had belonged to the Salvatore's for more than five generations. It was absolutely amazing and such a pleasure visiting. Hide and seek had probably been a real challenge as a kid. She couldn't imagining growing up at a mansion - Damon and Stefan had been quite spoiled. She snickered at the thought of them as kids - slightly sad at the fact that she couldn't remember Damon as a six year old as she hadn't even been born at the time.

Their latest encounter had messed her up to the point of her ending up feeling hollow and lifeless. The scary part was that she'd seen a part of her own turmoil mirrored in his blue eyes. For a second she'd allowed herself to believe and hope that he'd started to develop some kind of emotion regarding her but no. She was too scared of hoping, too scared of being hurt unless he actually felt something other than protectiveness.

She'd left Barbara's and a puzzled Brett before Damon had left the bathroom. She wanted to cause him the same pain she'd felt for such a long time. She didn't owe him anything, not even an apology. She'd collapsed in the shower later that night. She'd cried her heart out, sobbing as if her life had depended on it. She'd been so confused, her feelings running wild and her thoughts creating a chaos she couldn't guide herself through.

Elena tilted her head and curtsied as a passing waiter handed her a glass of sparkling champagne. She recognized and greeted a couple of her father's colleagues as she sipped on her champagne. A shot of electricity caused her fingers to twitch, she inhaled deeply, goosebumps spreading like venom across her body and then…

"You look stunning, if it isn't obvious."

 _Oh, velvet_. Of course he would be there. How could she be so stupid? It was his father's birthday after all. She turned around, bit her lower lip and smiled as she came to stand face to face with him. She lost all willpower she'd gathered in order to stay at least a little mad at him for their heated discussion at Barbara's. It was impossible to stay mad at someone like him.

 _Lord,_ he was as gorgeous as ever. Dressed in dark jeans and a grey shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the sexy hair perfectly tousled and messy. Her breath got caught in her throat as he smirked at her, his eyes wandering appreciatively over her body.

"Your hair's getting long." She whispered and immediately cursed herself.

"You like it?"

For heaven's sake, she could've thrown herself at his feet without thinking twice. She clenched her fist behind her back and blushed, heat causing her body to feel hot and bothered. Her nerve endings was on fire and all due to the way he looked at her. She wanted him so bad. She'd been holding back for what felt like a lifetime and the last couple of days had been hell.

Yes, she'd put on a brave face for the world but nothing had felt right. She'd felt broken and her heart had ached painfully. She'd focused on school and Caroline. The blonde knew her well and she'd noticed the shift in her friend. Elena had tried her best to laugh it off, blaming it all on stress, knowing very well what the problem was. 'Him.'

"Yes." She breathed, the generous glass of champagne making her slightly bolder than usual.

He raised an eyebrow - questioningly and nodded slowly as if realizing she'd just failed to sound seductive and flirt - rather - shamelessly with him and in front of other people as well.

She could feel her heart leap in her chest and all of a sudden she felt naked in her emerald dress. She'd felt so beautiful just a couple of minutes earlier and tried to concentrate or at least focus on staying on her own two feet. Falling apart in a heap of lust and arousal in the Salvatore's ballroom wasn't something she prefered to experience. She tried to collect herself and a piece of the sanity that she knew she possessed.

"How have you been?"

* * *

"How have you been?"

He shook his head. "Can we talk?"

She seemed rather surprised by his request but nodded cautiously. He motioned for her to follow him and a waiter grabbed her empty glass before they left the ballroom behind. Damon escorted her through the foyer and up the stairs, down the hall and in through a dark wooden door.

They ended up in a small bathroom with light colors, a scent of vanilla filling the space. His heart felt as if it was about to burst in his chest. He had to admit it; he was currently scared shitless. She gulped as he locked the door and turned around to face her. If he was about to pour his heart out, he didn't want them to be overheard or interrupted. Everything regarding them was personal and fragile.

"Ask me again."

She frowned, fumbling with her hands. "Ask you what?"

"How I've been."

Elena frowned and eyed him suspiciously. He could see the inner turmoil in her eyes as he felt the same storm approach with the force of a hurricane too. He noticed how she tried to compose herself and put on a strong face. He hated the fact that he made her so nervous and scared of what he meant, so he just blurted it out - unable to stop the words from forming themselves in his mouth.

"I'm a wreck. I can't get you out of my head."

"Damon, don't." She breathed and attempted to pass him, reaching for the doorknob. "I can't do this. You can't say things like that. They give me false hope. I can't live like that."

His hand found hers and stopped her from taking another step. His body ached as her words hit him. He'd caused her pain and it broke his heart. He continued, he had to let her know just how much she affected him and how everything had shifted.

"I can't eat, concentrate or even think. It's not about sex, okay?"

"Then what is it?"

Her voice was merely a whisper and her lower lip quivered. It was so hard for him to focus when she was so close within reach. Tears stained her eyes but he could see how hard she fought to hold them back.

"I can't sleep, I dream of you and I find myself wanting to get to know you better. I feel something. The thought of anyone else having you is like a knife twisting in my fucked up soul." He paused to breathe. "But I can't tell you what it is I'm feeling because I don't know but I'm willing to give this a try. Us."

"Us?" She questioned, taken aback.

"We'll do it your way, whatever you want. If you want to date or just hang out. I'm sorry but that's all I can give you right now, I can't make any promises but I'm yours if you want me."

Her lips parted in an emotional tidal wave and her shocked eyes searched his for any sign of him being insincere. She found none and gasped as the words hit her, almost flooring her.

"Are you serious?" She whispered.

"Yes." He said it without hesitation, nodding reassuringly. "Yes."

Something she'd wanted for such a long time had just happened and she felt as if she'd been frozen to the ground - involuntarily - as all she wanted to do; was kiss him. She also wanted to cry with a happiness she'd never experienced before. Elena could easily hear her own pulse ringing in her ears - so what stopped him from hearing it as well? Her heart pumped so hard that it almost hurt, butterflies exploding in millions of colors, filling her belly with a tickling sensation.

She started shivering, her body reacting to his as the air hummed around them, confirming the electricity flying through the air. He threw himself at her feet, he wanted to figure out what was going on between them. 'Us.' He'd said he wanted to give them a try and her heart had expanded to the size of her chest aching.

* * *

He blamed gravity and everything in between as he grabbed her by the neck and pulled her towards him. His lips crashed onto hers and the sweet sound of her moan caused him to go weak at the knees. His hands roamed her body, carefully but still passionate, their mouths exploring one another.

Her arms found their way around his neck and shoulders as he trailed openmouthed kisses along her slender neck. He felt his heart skip a beat as she pulled her hand through his hair, grabbed a handful of it and steered him back up to her lips. He found himself smiling against her lips, she laughed and he turned them around in order to press her back against the door. He whispered her name and inhaled her scent. 'So _intoxicating_.'

He pinned her to the door, reveling in the feel of her body and how it formed itself after his. Somehow, her emerald dress had been pushed up over her thighs and it was easy for her to sneak her legs around his waist as their mouths fought each other for rivaled dominance.

It was soft and passionate but the atmosphere changed when she felt his erection press against her center. He noticed how she froze and he tried to pull away. Hoping to be able to give her space. He didn't want their first time to be like this. He didn't want to pressure her or have her thinking that he expected her to let him have her anyway or anywhere he wanted, simply because one thing led to another. He'd decided that they would be taking things slow, no matter what. He wanted her to be with him on her own terms. He'd said 'whatever you want', and he'd meant it - wholeheartedly. He would hand himself over to her to do as she wished, wanted her to steer him as he was way too inexperienced regarding the kind of relationship she craved so badly.

However, those thoughts disappeared as she pulled him closer, clawing at him, holding him close, deepening their already heated kiss. He groaned as she boldly pressed her hips against him, teasing the bulge in his pants, quietly but very obviously inviting him to go further.

"Elena." He warned and pulled back from her mouth, breathing heavily.

"No, just kiss me."

Her brown orbs locked with his blue eyes and everything disappeared - the surroundings, the sound of voices coming from downstairs - everything except from her face evaporated and faded away. He stumbled, unable to hold back and caught her lips, covering her warm mouth with his once again.

The intensity was unlike anything he'd felt before - unlike anything he'd ever experienced and it scared him more than he wanted to admit. It felt so raw and different. Different didn't necessarily have to mean it was bad - just different. Electricity shot through him and Damon tilted his hips, pressing her back against the hard surface of the door.

She gasped and he realized he'd tilted his hips and had managed to rub her in the right place. He smirked devilishly, a sated feeling of joy spreading in his chest. Elena's hands felt heavy as she placed them on his lower back, helping him rub her center with increased movements. It was easy to tell when he rubbed the right spot as she moaned into his mouth, her breathing heavy and erotic. The simple fabric of her lacy underwear and his jeans was the only thing stopping them from completing their intense coupling.

The sound of her quiet moans got him fired up and he throbbed painfully in his pants. His heart raced intensely in his chest and it was hard to think of anything else except from her body pressing against his. He knew that his dick would be covered with bruises later - as he kept rubbing and grinding himself against the fabric of his boxers - but he didn't care. It would be worth the bruises. He could feel the tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach as his body started to hum appreciatively against hers. She rode his hips, grinding and angling herself the best she could.

He hadn't been dry humping anyone since high school so the situation felt rather mind blowing to say the least. It confused and surprised him that he enjoyed the simple act of going through the motions of sex while being fully clothed. She changed parts of him that he didn't even knew existed.

She clawed at his lower back, moved with increasing ferocity, driving him to the brink without even knowing it. He would have to pull away or he would splash in his pants, spilling his seed in his boxers. ' _Oh no._ ' He tensed and gripped her hips, digging his nails into her skin.

* * *

She could feel how he started to tense up as he held her pressed against the door. His hand gripped at her thighs, moving to her hips, holding her in place. She could feel the familiar and tingling sensation between her legs, her underwear damp and in the way - stopping him from sinking deep into her warmth.

Every swift motion of his hips caused her to moan and gasp in his ear. She stroke the back of his neck, playing with the strands of hair, inhaling his scent. The door squeaked behind them but she didn't care. Nothing else mattered in that moment. She was lost in him and the feeling of being so close to completion.

His erection pressed at her center, spreading shots of electricity throughout her entire body. She started to fall apart in his embrace. The sound of an acoustic guitar accompanied by someone playing the piano reached her ears from downstairs. She breathed his name, closed her eyes and drowned in an explosion of emotions, allowing the waves to pull her under.

* * *

He attacked her lips once she finally resurfaced with a moan loud enough for anyone to hear. He covered her mouth with his as he exploded, stumbling, his legs buckling at the knees as he came in his pants. She surprised him and looked him straight in the eye, as if she was willing him to let go of everything except from her body. The intensity of the orgasm rolled off of him in waves and caused him to lose his breath for a while. He felt at home.

She breathed heavily as he buried his head in the crook of her neck, nuzzling her skin, leaving wet, openmouthed kisses just above her pulsepoint. His heart pumped furiously in his chest and he tried to catch his breath before lazily moving against her kiss swollen lips. He smirked as she cradled his face with her hands.

He leaned his forehead against hers as both of them tried to catch their breaths. He was quite sure she'd stopped breathing during her own climax and the happiness spreading throughout his body caused him to shiver in her embrace. He knew he should pull away and try to clean them up before attending the party downstairs but he couldn't move. He just wanted to hold her, wanted to let her know that he didn't regret any of the things that had just happened between them.

"I want more than just your body." He said with raw honesty. "And I.. ejaculated in my pants."

It had never happened to him while dry humping before. It wasn't one of his finest moments but he wasn't ashamed. It was a compliment of the highest order. She'd managed to give him an orgasm without putting her hands on his erection and he was still slightly shocked at how it had all happened. How much time had passed? She'd had him bursting at the seams without realizing it and his heart ached with compassion and quite a bit of gratitude.

She blushed crimson, bit her lower lip, smiled sweetly and played with the hair in the back of his neck, spreading warmth across the area.

"Oh?" She mouthed, nibbling at his lip.

"It has never happened to me before."

"I've bewitched you?"

"Yes." He mumbled. "Yes you have."

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

**Saturday, November 20, 2009**

Thankfully, Damon managed to clean himself up from the sticky mess in his boxers and Elena had helped him with a smile tugging at the corner of her soft mouth - clearly proud of the fact that she'd sent him over the edge so easily. He'd been embarrassed at the fact that he'd splashed so easily but felt rather smug when Elena obviously took it as a compliment. However, he feared for the moment he would be able to enter her for real, without clothes holding them back from merging with one another. The mere thought of it had him twitching in excitement and she'd blushed at the confirmation.

They'd both felt the undening pull between them. It had been there, overpowering them it its urge to throw them together in a heated coupling. It had been magnetic and he'd wanted her a second time as she'd helped him with careful movements. They'd been shy but at the same time it had felt so natural and easy. There'd been no worries or concerns circulating between them. The atmosphere had been light and their early orgasmic state had caused them to feel relaxed. They'd connected with one another without him being inside her and the thought had him baffled. It had felt like home and he realized how chessy it sounded just thinking it.

But, he'd felt no guilt about what had happened and he'd said it out loud. He didn't care if anyone had heard them - 'let them be jealous of the sound she's making' had been a distant thought.

They'd descended the stairs together, fire burning between them, leaving them with invisible burn marks. Elena had been so radiant, practically glowing and beaming with a happiness that matched his own. He'd wanted to grab her hand, touch her body, showing her that it was more than just an orgasm for him - but they'd agreed on keeping it between the two of them until they'd grown accustomed to whatever it was that was going on between them.

People had been dancing as they'd entered the ballroom and he'd dared to gather her in his arms, dancing close to her, feeling himself grow hard just by being so close to her. His body responded to every little thing she did. She'd put a spell on him, he'd never reacted like that before.

They'd danced just like any other couple but without people knowing what they'd been doing in the upstairs bathroom - unaware of how they felt for one another. He'd spun her around, enjoying the laughter coming from her. He'd quickly realized that seeing her happy transcended a lot of things. It warmed his heart and caused an unknown joy to spread across his chest. She'd bit her lower lip, briefly touched his face and panting his name.

It had been so hard to part from her as she'd left with her parents. He'd wanted to grab her, push her into one of the closets and just, ravish her, mark her and never let her forget that she was indeed, _his_. Because that was how he felt as he watched her leave the mansion. She'd been his for a long time. She'd known it for years, Damon on the other hand - ouch, he'd been slow but he was just about to catch up with her. _Better late than never,_ he thought.

His mother had eyed him suspiciously as he'd been devouring three pieces of peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream before heading home. He'd shrugged it off and she'd raised a questioning eyebrow. His mother had the ability to see things without uttering a single word and he'd tried to casually explain how much he'd missed her homemade cobbler. She'd scolded him, letting him know that their front door was always open for him. He'd thanked her and left before she'd had the chance to start a real investigation, including a polygraph test.

As Damon got home and crossed the downstairs lobby and headed towards the elevator the doorman stopped to inform him that there was someone waiting for him at his front door. He'd been slightly puzzled and had felt excited, hoping for it to be Elena.

To his big disappointment Andie leaned against the wall, drunk and clearly more than ready to be fucked. He'd brushed her off and she'd left with teary eyes. He hadn't regretted a single thing. She needed to realize that they would never be the same again. All he wanted was Elena.

He easily could've played with himself before going to bed but the happiness of the night's events had him dancing through his bedroom door as he got undressed. He felt rather relaxed but needed a good night's sleep. She was the last thing that circulated through his mind as he crawled into bed.

Things had changed the day he'd picked her up drunk and nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

Damon woke up to someone nudging him. He waved his hand dismissively and muttered under his breath. ' _No_.' He groaned at the hand nudging his shoulder and slowly turned around, trying to get comfortable once again, while avoiding the irritated voice behind him. But as soon as he realized he'd crawled into bed alone last night - he peaked at the intruder standing by the bed. Had Ric decided to surprise him with breakfast in bed? The thought had him rolling his eyes.

"Daddy!" The tiny intruder stomped her foot, a look of annoyance plastered on her face.

A dark haired little girl stared at him with big brown eyes, her face similar to a question mark. She stared at him, hands placed firmly on her tiny hips. _What the–?_ He bolted from the warm safety of his bed and landed on his feet, rather ungracefully due to being so incredibly shocked by the tiny human looking incredulously at him. He stumbled over the pile of clothes and quickly scrambled to his feet, staring at her in utter confusion.

He reached for a pair of sweatpants from the armchair in the corner and managed to find a t-shirt without leaving the other invading human with his eyes.

" _Daddy_?" Damon frowned, his intestines freezing as he pulled the shirt of his head.

What the hell was going on? He looked over his shoulder as if hoping to see Ric jumping out of the closet, yelling _'Punk'd!'_ No. Not even Ric would be able to pull that off. He scratched the back of his head, trying to remember what had happened before he parted from Elena last night. It seemed very foggy and far away. It had been his dad's birthday, right? His mind felt blank, empty and his hangover was as nasty as if he'd been drinking a whole bottle of bourbon on his own. He tried closing his eyes, hoping that his hallucination would've faded away but to no avail - she kept staring at him.

"Mama's mad, you're gonna be late."

"Yeah, whatever." He mumbled, trying to comprehend what was going on, he shook his head. "Wait, what?"

Damon rubbed his temples, trying to remember to breathe and actually focus on the problem standing before him. It had to be a joke. There was a living, breathing, annoying, kid in his bedroom.

"Uncle Ric is a bad influence on you, daddy." She shook her head dismissively.

Taken aback by the sassiness in her voice; he stopped to eye her suspiciously for the first time. He squinted his eyes, as if sensitive to the mere sight of her. The feeling of familiarity grew by the second. Those eyes had something peculiarly creepy and radiant about them. _Huh_. He tried to figure out what it was and realized that he recognized them. He'd seen them before. He frowned. The brown warmth that filled her eyes with a blazing fire caught him off guard and he felt nauseous. Those were younger copies of someone's eyes which he recognized. But..? _Shit_!

He swallowed the lump that had involuntarily formed in his throat. The realization that he'd slept with someone who wasn't Elena crossed his mind and he glanced at the kid. _No, no._ He wouldn't ruin things with Elena before they'd even begun, would he? He looked around the room. No, this was his place. Sure, there seemed to be a womanly touch to the interior but it was still his bedroom. He tried to clear his mind. ' _Daddy_?'

"Shit!"

"Uh, daddy?"

The sound of her voice as she called him daddy felt strange but oddly confirmative and somehow… right, in a weird, absent, crazy way. He pulled a hand through his hair; afraid that he would blackout if he didn't… He hurried to the bed and sat down. He leaned forward and let his head hang down between his legs. The room spun to the point of insanity being a better choice and he was sure that he would faint at any second.

"Dad–"

"What?" He finally groaned, unable to look at the child standing before him. The word ' _daddy_ ' freaked him out. It just didn't fit but at the same time, it did.

"Mama's going to be fuckin– " She quickly stopped herself and changed her words. "She's going to be pissed if you're late."

The fact that she used the word fucking and pissed almost caused him to chuckle at the insanity of it all. Thankfully, it was someone else's responsible to raise the girl without letting her use those kind of words. Not that he would throw a tantrum if his own kids used those words one day. You couldn't withhold everything from tiny ears.

"What are you talking about? Who's your mom?" He wanted to question who she was, who he was and what the fuck was going on but bit his tongue.

* * *

Five minutes later, Damon and the young girl entered the kitchen. He was taken aback at the surroundings. He shook his head in confusion.

This was his kitchen, his cupboards, his kitchen island, his adjoining living room… _his_! The colors and some of the interior seemed different from what he was used to but it was definitely his place. He frowned as he noticed the stuffed bear on the kitchen island, stomped on a piece of lego and cursed out loud as he bent over, rubbing his foot to the sound of bad words coming from him.

The sound of hysterical giggling reached his ears and he turned to look at the child. She quickly straightened up and tried to put on a brave face that held a lot of unexpressed laughter as she placed a hand over her mouth, realizing that being quiet might serve her purpose instead of making fun of him.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

He quickly dismissed her and scratched the back of his head. Who knew lego pieces could feel like stomping on a poisonous, evil piece of a hot custom firepoke?

"Um, daddy?" The dark haired girl pulled at his arm, craving his attention once she found it being safe to address him. "Can I go play?"

The innocence in her eyes tugged at his heartstrings and he simply nodded yes at her face as it was grazed with a happy smile. He followed her with his eyes as she basically leapt over the edge of the sofa, giggling and finally locating what he thought was a dollhouse at the corner of the living room. He pulled a hand through his hair, trying to collect the spinning thoughts in his head and rounded the corner of the kitchen island.

And then, well… Then he noticed _her_ , leaning against the counter with a cup in one hand and a phone pressed to her ear. Dressed in a knitted sweater, dark skinny jeans that clung perfectly to her curves, leaving him with no imagination of how her body was formed underneath the fabric. Her hair was slightly curled at the end of the lengths and her makeup was as light as always. She was vibrant, gorgeous.

He widened his eyes. _Elena_.

There was something about her that caused her to look mature, more of a woman than a teen. She'd been beautiful at his parents party yesterday but she'd been innocent and slightly insecure. This was different. She had a different body shape, more curves, swollen breasts that could easily be seen under the sweater, a jawline that could've cut a cake and a glow to her skin that he'd never seen before. _Oh_ , she was different to say the least.

But, she was also absolutely stunning and his breath caught in his throat as she formally ended the call and slowly looked up at him. Her eyes met his and he felt as if the world stopped for a moment, everything moving in slow motion.. She brought the cup to her plum lips and he noticed the wedding band on her left hand. The strange sensation of ownership crossed his heart as she smiled at him - _knowingly_ \- and it hit him like a freight train. _Wife_. She was his wife. He gulped and wondered what kind of brain damaged he'd been diagnosed with - everything felt so surreal but at the same time, so natural - so damn right.

"Sweatpants and a t-shirt?" She snickered and raised a perfect eyebrow. "Are you not going to work today?"

 _Work_? He tried to find words in order to answer her but couldn't seem to figure out what to say. He had no idea what kind of sentence would satisfy her and honestly, he was slightly afraid of saying or even doing something that she could potentially consider weird. Was he dead? What kind of alternative universe was this?

Elena crossed the kitchen, rounded the corner of the island and glanced over her shoulder, making sure the child was occupied with the humongous doll castle in the living room before she sneaked her arms around his neck and shoulders.

 _Oh fuc-,_ she smelled so divine that he was afraid that his legs would melt beneath him. She pressed herself against his body and it somehow responded to hers without mercy. It was as if his body and every single limb of his, moved without his consent and his arms found their way around her body. It felt so familiar. They felt familiar, almost as if they'd known each others bodies forever.

She squealed as his hands automatically gripped her buttocks and their breaths mingled with one another as they barely grazed the other ones mouth.

"I thought last night would've rid you of this morning situation." She breathed quietly and lowered her hand, slowly stroking him over the protruding bulge that had grown to full size in his pants. "Not that I'm complaining."

He thought he would faint as she moved her hand over him, putting just the right amount of pressure at the right place. _Oh, shi-_ His mind went blank and he closed his eyes for a second, trying to breathe without falling apart in her embrace. He had to say something, had to do something.

"Elena, I–"

She caught his lips, silencing him and Damon felt as if fireworks exploded inside him. A sort of weird yet welcoming happiness shot through him like electricity and the world felt right in more than one way. She was so… bold and comfortable with his body, almost possessing it, knowing exactly what could set him off. The pulsating need he'd felt for her yesterday at his parents place had been overwhelming but this was… mind blowing. Scary and uncontrollable. She controlled every fiber of his being and he accepted it without complaint.

At that moment he didn't exactly care about what was going on in his mind; if he was dreaming, drunk, in a coma or just plainly hallucinating - his body wanted her, craved her like the air he needed in order to breathe. If it was a dream; he would take whatever he could get and none would be able to blame him for it. _Right_?

He explored her mouth, stroked his tongue across hers, moved his hands up and down her body, mesmerized at the feel of her pressed so close to his own body. The sensation of exploring her entire being was empowering. Happiness that he'd never felt coursed through him and he forced himself to pull away in order to breathe. Apparently, he still needed air.

"Do you want me?" She teased gently, rubbing his erection, nibbling at his lower lip.

"Yes." He almost panted and groaned as she slipped her hand inside his sweatpants, cupping him, cradling every inch she could reach. " _Oh_.. yes."

They were suddenly interrupted by a piercing scream that echoed throughout the living room and Elena pulled away as if lightning had struck her. She looked down at his protruding member, let him go and quickly collected herself.

"Amanda? What happened, honey?"

She was gone in a flash and he frowned, confused, dazed, turned on, painfully hard, close to erupting and wondering what had just happened. As soon as oxygen actually made its way through his brain, slowly forcing him to function as his cockstand lowered itself with pulsating need, Elena reentered the kitchen. She cradled the crying child in her arms, trying her best to soothe her, drying the tiny tears that had escaped the brown eyes.

"Uh, what happened?" He managed to ask, trying to shield his lower body parts behind the kitchen island, still swollen with need and denied release.

"Your daughter fell of off the couch." Elena sighed, rolled her eyes and placed Amanda on the counter. "I've told you a thousand times not to jump on the couch. You'll likely break your arm one day."

 _His daughter?_ He frowned and wanted to laugh out loud at the same time but tried to keep himself under control as he eyed the mother-daughter duo in front of him. Elena seemed rather sure on how to comfort the child without being overdramatic. _His_ daughter? The thought continued to plopp up in his head.

Damon studied them and realized that there was indeed a striking likeness between the two. She - _Amanda_ \- had Elena's eyes, that why he'd recognized them earlier. Amanda cursed and pronounced some of the words he'd used when stomping on that annoying piece of lego so there was no denying that his DNA had played a part in creating the tiny human as well.

He didn't know what to do or say so he just eyed them, mesmerized at the sight of them.

Huh, _their_ daughter. _Amanda_.

"Daddy said it was okay."

"What, no I didn't." A twinge of guilt crossed him and Elena's eyes darted to him within a nanosecond. He forced to look non guilty but obviously failed as his wife raised an eyebrow as if asking; _oh really_?

"I said she could go play." He defended and found himself sending his apparent offspring a stern look.

Elena eyed him suspiciously, questioning whether he told her the truth or not. He was quite freaked out over the whole thing that was going on in his mind right now but also very turned on at the fact that she'd carried and given birth to his child. Their child. It was a weird sensation that flowed through his veins as he watched Elena scold Amanda, then kiss her scrawny elbow and sending her to her room in order to pack the stuff she wanted to bring to the park.

Elena turned around, pulled her hands through her hair and sighed heavily. She shook her head and it dawned on him that beneath all the glow, happiness and energy, she actually seemed tired. He wanted to approach her but didn't really know how to cross the line he had drawn in his head. This wasn't reality, it was obviously a dream of some sort but he still wanted to comfort her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes." She nodded, a faint smile crossing her face as she quickly changed the topic. "So, are you staying home today? I promised Amanda that we'd go to the park but I really–"

"Elena." He interrupted her without holding back the the sudden fascination och curiousness that clawed at him. "What happened at my parents house yesterday?"

She snickered at him and waved her hand dismissively as if he'd been trying his best to crack a funny joke. She caught his eye, frowned and shook her head in confusion, seemingly taken aback at the seriousness following his question. At first she seemed baffled but realized that it wasn't a joke.

"I don't know. Why?"

"We celebrated my father's birthday. We were there. Don't you remember?"

"Damon." She walked over to him, looking up at his face, grabbing his hands in hers. Her skin felt warm and soft, comforting. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He shrugged, trying to act as calm as possible.

"Well, we haven't seen your parents for four years."

His heart contorted in his chest. He could feel how ice transformed the blood in his veins to cold liquid that pained him to his core. _What_? She cradled his hands, brought them to her mouth and placed kisses on his knuckles, clearly trying to soothe the ache she'd noticed that he felt when mentioning his parents. The unfamiliar act of her kindness warmed his exterior but not to the extent of defrosting the ice in his veins. He shuddered and tried to find his equilibrium in order to continue but Elena beat him to it.

"I know that you made the decision for our family's sake and I'm thankful for that but if you want to reconnect with your parents," She shrugged, squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Then I'd say go for it. I've forgiven them for everything, maybe you should too?"

"What do you mean?" He dared to ask.

"We both know what happened when I got pregnant. The turmoil still haunts you."

And then, memories of a different life hit him like a train going through a brick wall. Memories flashed before his eyes and his entire life was played out as if on screen before his eyes. The sound of her worried voice forced him to look at her.

"It's okay to miss them." She murmured with her head resting against his chest, nuzzling her face into the soft skin of his shoulder.

And then they talked.

Talked for what seemed like hours and the story of their lives caused him to feel both shock, happiness, joy and fear for what her next sentence would contain. They'd been through so much but most of the time they'd been able to pull through. She was calm and relaxed as she spoke of their life and how she'd felt during those weeks when everything had changed so drastically, not only for them - but for everyone connected to them as well.

Elena had found out she was pregnant on her nineteenth birthday and Damon had proposed to her shortly after he'd found out. He'd planned to propose to her long before he'd found out she was pregnant but had postponed it due to the fear of things he didn't want to think of, ever again. However, is parents had urged him to push Elena towards an abortion but he'd refused to even bring it up. They'd sent one of their lawyers after Elena, trying to bribe her with an enormous check, hoping to cover up what they'd called; _a huge mistake._

They'd been so persistent that they'd threatened to disown him if he would acknowledge the child and he'd left their house and their lives without as much as looking back once. That had been the afternoon his father had called Elena a money obsessive maneater that would ruin his life. He could remember the anger he'd felt towards his unsupportive parents. They'd always loved Elena or was that just imagination? The things he knew to be real and the buzzing of ' _dreamworld'_ caused him to mix it up.

He'd loved her then and he'd done everything in order for their life to be blessed with love and happiness. He'd always been working hard and he'd made sure they had everything they could possibly need. He met her eyes, wondering if she ever wrote her book, was she a housewife or did she plan to study? Create a career of her own? What was her dream? Was he supposed to know the answer to those questions? _Yes,_ probably.

He tried a different angle, hoping to lure out some details without snooping or acting suspiciously weird.

"You gave up your own dreams to have Amanda?"

"I've never thought about it like that." She said and stroked his cheek. "My life's not over just because I had a kid at nineteen. I still have dreams. I haven't abandoned them if that's what you're asking. I would like to think of it as.. As if I have postponed them a little. Was it a shock to find out that I was pregnant? Yes. Was she planned? NO."

Damon dared to chuckle at her grimace and somehow adorable expression as she shook her head and widened her eyes to intensify her words.

"But she was welcomed nonetheless." She finished and curved her lip, smiling. "We made it through together but it pains me that you lost your parents and all because of me."

"We have talked about this." He said sternly and something sparked inside him, a feeling of annoyance being ignited within the back of his mind. A memory of them having the same conversation, a memory of him assuring her that he would always choose her, no matter what. She was his family and he'd never looked back. He involuntarily found himself smiling at the realization and she clearly noticed because she tilted her head and eyed him carefully.

"What?" She questioned, looking rather smug.

Damon's eyes wandered across her bosom and placed his hand with a newfound confidence on her hips, pulling her closer. She felt so hot and her skin sent small buzzing shots of electricity throughout his body as he touched her. There was just, something about her. He couldn't comprehend what it was but it was most definitely something.

"You smell, your scent is," He mumbled as he realized that's what pulled him in and grazed her lower lip with his thumb. "So intoxicating."

"You said the same thing when I was carrying Amanda."

He froze and could literally feel the smile spread across her face as realization dawned on him. No. He tried to persuade himself that he was daydreaming and would wake up at any moment now but he didn't. So instead, he pulled back in order to look at her, searching her eyes for confirmation. _As if I need it_ , he thought.

"You're pregnant."

It wasn't a question, it was a fact and he could feel his heart expand and his eyes watering. One of his hands found its way to her stomach, he inhaled deeply as he dropped the hand just below her belly button and a sizzling energy sparkled throughout his fingers as he spread them just a little bit. She was carrying a part of him inside her. _Again_. He couldn't help but to feel blessed and looked at her as she bit her lip. He recognized the mirroring feelings that flowed through her eyes and at that moment he wanted it all to be his reality.

Nothing in the real world had ever felt this right before. He realized that he wanted all of it - the annoying little girl that was theirs, the woman in front of him that was his wife, the growing child in her womb - happiness and desperate need couldn't describe how much he wanted it all.

But...

All of a sudden, she stiffened under his touch. He felt dizzy as he tried to lock his eyes with hers. Somehow, she started to fade away under his fingers. The contours of her face and body started to dissolve into fog. He tried to grab her by the hand but she melted in his embrace, a look of sadness grazing her beautiful face before she just evaporated into thin air.

The heartbreaking sound of ' _daddy_ ' being pronounced caused him to turn his head - only to find the shape of a child but without a face - staring back at him. She stood at the end of the sofa, ready to bounce and he warned her not to move, the fear of her falling before his eyes clawing at his heart. The room changed within an instant, almost as if someone had transformed the surroundings. And all of a sudden, they were on a rooftop, his daughter closing in on the edge.

She wavered as she balanced on the edge of the roof. He desperately tried to pick her up, reached for her, trying to fight his way to the human yelling ' _daddy_ ' at the top of her small lungs as she lost her balance and disappeared over the edge, falling of off the building. He couldn't move, couldn't run - he tried, _frantically_ , as his heart felt as if it shattered into a million small pieces.

* * *

He woke up with a scream getting painfully caught in his throat and he gripped the sheets, fisted them in his hands, panting and panicking, screaming after his daughter as the nightmare clung to his brain, forcing him to relieve the moment over and over again. ' _Amanda_.' _She wobbled and fell._ He wanted to call out to her, drift off once again, hoping to be able to save the child that had been his. _Theirs_.

Damon sat up, breathing heavily, small droplets of salty sweat and tears staining his face and shirt as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. His throat felt sore, almost as if he'd been yelling throughout the entire night. He leaned back against the headboard and tried to calm his breathing. His heart pounded painfully in his chest, causing him to almost tear up once again.

His brain had managed to create an entire world of relationships and things he didn't even know he'd wanted when going to bed a couple of hours earlier. How was it possible? He closed his eyes and pulled a hand through his messy hair.

He froze when someone nudged his shoulder with eerie familiarity and he met a pair of eyes he recognized all too well.

* * *

 **Reviews are love, people!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sunday, November 21, 2009  
** **DAMON POV**

"Ric, what the hell?" Damon groaned and pulled a hand through his already messy hair. "That spare key is for emergencies only."

"Your mom called me and she was frantic I might add, because she couldn't get ahold of you. So I offered to swing by."

"That spare key is for emergencies only."

"Uhm, well," Alaric grimaced, trying to find words. "Dude, trust me, it's an emergency."

His friend seemed kind of worked up, he eyed him suspiciously. Had someone died? Was there a chick his friend felt the need to hide from? Damon frowned and tried to collect his thoughts. His brain was still mentally hurt by the nightmare he'd had before waking up, remnants of surreal memories flashing before his eyes.

"What kind of emergency?" He pulled a hand through his already messy hair and leaned back against the headboard.

"Someone left a package for you at your parents place."

"What kind of package?"

"Well, uh, let's just say that shit's about to go down."

* * *

 **ELENA POV**

Elena woke up early, unable to fall back asleep as the memories of last night hit her. She could feel herself blush at the memory of his confession about coming in his pants. She'd forced herself not to awe and tell him how incredibly adorable it was. To be honest, she'd felt quite pleased with herself as he'd seemed to be completely taken aback by 'the incident.'

She'd been quite shocked as well, emotions coursing through her, causing her to shiver. He'd nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck and the stars had felt align with the universe. It had been unfathomable. Her underwear had been soaked with the lubricated wetness he'd managed to create just by rubbing her center. She'd been so hot and ready for him.

She sat up and leaned back against the headboard. He'd been so sweet and charming. What was the feeling called? ' _Euphoria_?' Elena hugged her pillow and inhaled deeply. Just thinking about him and his erection pressed against her caused her heart to leap in her chest.

"Damon Salvatore." She mumbled and couldn't stop herself from smiling.

They'd been so caught up in the moment last night and she felt so happy that he'd been so forthcoming about how he felt. He'd been honest and sincere. He'd admitted that he wanted her, that he ached for her but he'd never mentioned anything about being in love with her. Not that she could blame him. She'd had years to let her affection grow to love and infatuation, while he'd been ambushed by her the day she'd spilled her secret.

She wanted to see him, needed to see him - it was confusing because at the same time she wanted to take it slow. She didn't want to rush things between them - whatever it was. After last night's event in the upstairs bathroom - the thought of abstinence had appeared in her mind more than once. She wanted him in every way but she couldn't imagine him seeing her naked and vulnerable like that. It would be too soon and she didn't want to ruin things before they'd even started.

Last night, Damon had told her to think about what she wanted. She would be the one holding the reins, steering them down the path she wanted them to take. He'd said that he wanted her to consider what she wanted from him - because Damon didn't know where to start. She'd appreciated how he'd laid it all on the table and she'd been thinking about it on the ride back home after the party.

He was willing to bend for her needs and she would have to figure out what those needs contained before being naked together with him.

She felt rather bold as she stepped out of the elevator and made her way to his door. Her heart pounded so hard that her chest hurt and her nerve endings felt as if they'd been electrocuted by some hidden adapter. She inhaled deeply and it took her a couple of seconds before she realized she'd been holding her breath so long that she'd started to feel slightly dizzy.

 _'Lord, Elena_.' She thought. _'You wanted to be a grown up. You're a grown up. Now focus.'_

She walked through the corridor and ended up at his door, she bit her lower lip and groaned as she checked her phone. She should've called him. What if he wasn't up for a rendezvous or turned her down? She shook her head. No.

She knocked on the door, her hands shivering as she couldn't help but to feel slightly nauseous.

* * *

 **DAMON POV**

He'd found Elena outside his door and he'd wanted to just grab her by the neck, kiss her and forget about everything else that didn't concern her and her lips. But due to Ric being there he'd been forced to tell her that he couldn't help her with her school assignment. She'd played along well but he'd noticed the hurt expression on her face as he didn't even dare to give her a hug in front of his friend and co-worker.

He entered the mansion, slightly suspicious of what could possibly have his mother so worked up that two of the three housekeepers kept rambling when ushering him towards his father's study. Damon shook his head, focus was key right now. He found his parents on the leather couch, each of them holding a glass of whiskey and watched as they downed the liquid in unison once they noticed him. He'd never seen his mother drink whiskey before. She never strayed from champagne, her homemade mimosa or a glass of wine - it was obvious that it was serious.

Stefan nodded at him and shrugged his shoulders - apparently - he had no clue as to what was going on either. His baby brother seemed nervous and fumbled with his hands, trying to find the courage to say something - when he didn't, Damon almost groaned out loud.

"Would someone like to explain to me, what the hell is going on?"

"Have a seat, son." Giuseppe motioned for him to take a seat in one of the armchairs.

Damon crossed his arms, eyeing his mother. For a moment his insides froze, was it her breast cancer? He gulped, scared that it had returned; causing her to reach for the bottle on the coffee table. His heart cramped up in his chest, causing him to feel nauseous and worried. Now that he took a closer look at her, he noticed the pale face and red, puffy eyes. _Shit_! She'd been crying. Okay, fine. He braced himself for the unveiling of her health state, knowing that he would have to show strength in order for her to feel strong as well.

"This morning," Giuseppe paused, sighed. "Your sister had a package delivered to the house."

"Katherine?" Damon tried to focus.

Katherine was the black sheep of the family and no one of his parents mentioned her in public. She was four years older than Damon and had left home at the tender age of fifteen. She'd been granted emancipation two years later and hadn't returned since then. Not even once. He hadn't seen or heard from his sister in eighteen years and this morning she'd sent a package to his parents house.

The sister he'd once known, loved and looked up to; had wanted nothing to do with her family. She'd rebelled against their parents, she'd refused to be molded after their frames and the daily fights had ended with Giuseppe slapping his daughter so hard that she fell down the stairs, breaking her arm in the fall. After that, she'd packed her stuff, she'd left and when papers regarding her emancipation had been sent to their father's office, he'd refused to sign them.

However, Katherine had the x-rays and the documentation of her father slapping her. She'd blackmailed her own parents into signing the papers and in order to protect the family reputation, they'd signed them without blinking.

Damon and Stefan had been heartbroken. He remembered how his mother had told him that Katherine had died and that she was no longer a part of their family. He'd secretly tried to find her during his time in high school but there had been no records mentioning a Katherine Emma Salvatore, anywhere. It was as if she'd been erased from the world.

She'd always been the brave one, the one you could trust - but somehow, that trust had disappeared with her and the unwillingness to let her brothers know that they still meant something to her. Damon loved her, he would always love her and no matter what, she would always be his big sister, but he'd stopped hoping for her return. Sometimes it bothered him that Stefan still hoped, wished and prayed for her to come back home.

He had to sit down or he'd vomit all over the hardwood floor.

"What was it? The package." He stammered, unable to find the right words. "Is she okay? Does she need money?"

"A baby." Giuseppe stated matter of factly and his wife whimpered beside him.

"A what?" He eyed his parents incredulously, then turned towards Stefan. "She left a baby? When did Katherine have a baby?"

His mother did her best to discreetly wipe away the escaping tears. Slater, their family lawyer entered the office and waved a file in front of Giuseppe's face.

"According to the birth certificate, he's ten years old, his name's Liam. That's pretty much the only valid thing I could find."

"Is he here? Katherine's son." Stefan's eyes lit up like fireworks. "That's amazing, you're grandparents. I'm an uncle. That's amazing!"

Giuseppe motioned for his youngest son to calm down, got up from the couch and poured himself another shot of bourbon. Damon blinked, unable to realize what was going on. He massaged his temples, trying to focus on the important part.

"So she left him here because she wants the two of you to… take care of him?" He raised a questioning eyebrow and frowned at his mother who started crying hysterically before leaving the room in a hurry.

"No. Not exactly." Slater took a seat across from him. "She signed you as his legal guardian."

"What?" Damon blinked.

"Congratulations, it's a boy. Don't screw up, mommy. God knows your sister obviously did."

Stefan gasped at the insult coming from the family lawyer. Slater grinned in response and seconds later Damon had thrown himself across the room, his fist colliding with Slater's smug little ratface. Something inside him had snapped and he'd exploded. ' _Sometimes, you see red.'_ He could hear both Stefan and his father as they tried to pull them apart.

"Are you kidding?" Damon yelled while Stefan tried to hold him back. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you consider this a fucking joke?"

Slater wiped his bleeding nose as Giuseppe offered him a hand. The lawyer got to his feet and shrugged his shoulders.  
Straightening his jacket and tie. He faked a smile, bowed for his boss and left the room.

* * *

Damon pulled a hand through his hair, paused a second, terrified. He tried to shrug it off but couldn't. His sister had a kid. A ten year old son that she'd thrown into his life, that she'd forced upon him whether he liked it or not. He gritted his teeth. ' _Damn you, Katherine._ ' He opened the door to one of the guest rooms that his mother had decorated so well and met Katherine's son. _Nephew_. He blinked as realization dawned on him; his nephew.

The ocean blue eyes with a familiar hint of green, the dark hair, flawless skin, the strong posture and the unmistaken sarcasm that seemed to be a family trait - could be seen without so much as a second glance. Damon felt no hesitation. He was a copy of his mother. The boy was a Salvatore; no doubt about that.

Damon gulped, shocked to his very core, unable to comprehend what was actually going on. He tried pinching himself discreetly. It didn't work.

"Hi."

"Hey."

They stared at each other for what felt like minutes, but it was likely just seconds.  
What was he supposed to say? 'Sorry your mom dumped you here?'

"So," Damon had no idea what to say, put his hands in his pockets in order to hide how shaky he was and asked the first thing that came to his mind. "Do you like Pokemon?"

"I'm ten, not forty. Pokemon is for old people."

Damon blinked at the sudden outburst. The familiar sassiness in the tiny voice caught him off guard and he frowned, uncertain of how to proceed from there. He decided to ignore it, nodded and shrugged his shoulders. He walked through the room, trying to collect his racing thoughts.

"Do you like sports?"

"No."

"Me neither." He walked over to the window. " I don't know how permanent the situation is or–"

"Mom always said you were the smart one." Liam stated. "I know why I'm here. Will I be staying with you? I've been in foster care a couple of times before, some people are nice but no one has been this rich."

If it had been possible, he would've been forced to grab his jaw from the floor after that statement. ' _Wow_ ,' Damon was floored; by a ten year old. Katherine had talked about him. The revelation warmed his heart. He turned around, pulled a hand across his face, trying to calm his nerves. But 'foster care?' What the hell had his sister been up to?

"You're coming with me."

"Okay."

"Don't you need a carseat or something?"

The boy grimaced and looked at him as if he'd lost his mind and truthfully, Damon wasn't sure he hadn't. _'Am I still dreaming?'_

* * *

 **Be kind enough to leave a review =) or just a smile!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Monday, November 22, 2009  
** **DAMON POV**

Damon rolled to his left and continued over the edge of the sofa, waking up as he hit the floor with a loud thump. _Shit_! He groaned, his elbow sore from the free falling. He stretched, grumbling in protest, his body aching.

"What the heck are you doing on the floor?"

Damon looked up at what he for a second thought was a hallucination but as the boy bent down to eye him suspiciously, he realized it wasn't a dream. Memories hit him like a freight train and he gritted his teeth. _Right_. He's got a kid now. _Great_. Fucking great. It was way too early for him to deal with the remnants of yesterday and the shocker of finding out he was now responsible for a human being. Hell, Damon had even managed to screw up caring for Stefan's goldfish - you guessed it; it died. From being starved or fed to death he couldn't exactly remember; how was he supposed to handle a kid?

"Good morning to you too." He groaned as he managed to heave himself up onto the sofa.

"When's the last time you shaved?" Liam grimaced at him. "You look like a homeless person."

"Fuck off." Damon pulled a hand across his face and as soon as he'd said it he regretted it, glancing over at Liam. The kid seemed rather unimpressed with Damon's vocabulary and shrugged his shoulders, completely ignoring him.

He shook his head, eyed his nephew as he sat down on the floor, positioning himself right in front of the TV. Damon blinked as Liam zapped between the channels. _Jesus_. He flinched at the sound and flickering light that bothered him as the screen changed in front of their eyes. His head hurt and the annoying sound of Liam chewing something irritably crunchy had him going slightly furious in seconds.

"What are you eating? I didn't feed you."

"I– I can fe–" Liam chewed, glancing over his shoulder. "I can feed myself."

"Fine but what are you eating?" Damon asked once again, annoyed.

"Coco Pops."

"Where the hell did you get Coco Pops?"

"Your boss brought them." Liam shrugged, shoving another mouthful of sugary cereals into his mouth. "He's in the kitchen."

Damon tensed up at that revelation and quickly got to his feet, grabbing the remote from Liam, flipping through the channels until finding cartoons. Liam glared up at him as he clearly didn't appreciate being interrupted while in the midst of the zapping adventure he'd been on.

"I hate cartoons."

"Perfect, now be a good boy and behave."

Damon didn't hand him back the remote and stumbled out into the kitchen, surprised to find Ric at the kitchen island, eating a bowl of Coco Pops. He seemed to enjoy himself to the point where it just felt weary and rather unsettling. After a minute or two, he looked up at Damon, who raised an eyebrow at him.

"Boss?"

"Come on." Ric chuckled. "I couldn't help myself."

"I thought you were my dad."

"Yeah," Ric cleared his throat. "How'd that go yesterday?"

"Bad." Damon muttered and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"How's your parents?"

"In denial, I suppose. They erased everything when Katherine left. Dad doesn't give a fuck and mom's too afraid to care. Stefan's hyper, as per usual. I'm surprised he's not here yet."

"Sorry, buddy." Ric offered and scratched the back of his head.

"Yes, well, it is what it is. By the way, what are you doing here?"

"I thought you might need some backup."

"Backup?"

"Yes."

"So you started out by feeding _my kid_ sugar, nice one." Damon grimaced as he read the label on the box. Sure, he wasn't an expert but sugar wasn't to play with and kids usually turned into monsters after consuming too much of it. Liam would hardly be an exception from that rule.

"Hey, those were meant for me but he was very persuasive, so, I shared."

"Great." Damon muttered. "Liam! Come and say hi to your _old_ uncle Ric!"

* * *

 **Wednesday, November 24, 2009  
** **DAMON POV**

Two days had passed since he'd brought Liam home and his entire life had been turned upside down. Everything was such a mess, he was in deep shit and had freaked out, wanted to confide in Elena, wanted to tell her that 'this is what I can offer you right now'. What a catch; young dude with a ten year old wants to pursue you, stay with him and he'll make you miserable in a short period of time before it has even started between the two of you.

Damon wanted to grimace at his own thoughts. She's was young, could easily be Liam's older sister and the thought creeped him out on so many levels. How do you tell the girl you're seriously crushing on, that you've just become a dad and wants to date her no matter what? Yes, he'd admitted it to himself yesterday; he's crushing on her, badly.

He followed her car with an intense gaze as she drove up the hill and coming to a stop. He blinked a couple of times, the wind causing his already ruffled hair to look similar to a fucking birds nest. He walked over to her, greeting her with a strained and rather forced smile.

"Hi." Damon said as she got out of the car.

Shit, she looked as perfect as ever, her hair curled around her face, her jeans hugging her beautiful curves in all the right places. The green knitted sweater way too big for her petite frame as she made her way over to him.

She glanced over her shoulder as if to make sure that they were actually alone and without hesitation; she ran into his arms, molding into his embrace, inhaling his spicy scent, reveling in the safety of his closeness. Without as much as a second thought, she looked up, pressed her lips against his, threw her arms around his neck and searched his tongue and he met her in unison.

Okay, she floored him, took him completely by surprise; this wasn't what he'd planned when he'd texted her the address to the mountain summerhouse. He'd wanted to give them time and privacy to sort things out and the mountains felt like home.

He'd also felt so desperate to talk to her, let her know about Liam, lay it all on the table and say; this is me - all sorts of fucked up and with baggage but if you want me, you can have me. Her mouth felt so perfectly soft pressed against his, their desperation for one another like electricity sizzling in the air around them. His hands roamed her back and hips as she pushed herself into his embrace, causing his heart to beat wildly inside his chest.

"I've missed you." She breathed as he pulled away from her.

"Yeah." He nodded, still panting slightly from the kiss. "I've missed you too."

Fuck, yes, he'd missed her. So damn much. Seriously, it almost hurt him physically just by thinking of their short amount of time apart from one another.

"You didn't answer my texts." She whispered.

"I know, I'm sorry. I wanted to." He'd been on the verge of calling her every second passing by last night but he'd stopped himself. Didn't really want to pull her in or involve her in something she probably didn't want to deal with.

"I thought I scared you away or something." She breathed, biting her lower lip. "I was afraid that you'd changed your mind."

"No." He said vehemently. "No, I didn't change my mind. Look, I'm sorry for my behavior in the hall with Ric and–"

"It's okay." She reassured, resting a hand on his chest. "I get it, we can't blow our cover, right?"

"I–" He started, scratched the back of his head, steering her towards the front porch of the house. "That's not what I meant."

"Okay?" She said warily, questioning.

"You deserve better."

She pulled back, let her hand fall from his chest as she looked up at him, searching his eyes for confirmation to his sudden change of heart.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," He motioned at the space between them. "Maybe we should put this on hold."

He could see her face change as his words hit her like a tidal wave, tears welling up in her beautiful brown eyes. Her demeanour changing, her entire appearance differing from the lust filled anticipation she'd shown when hugging him tightly, just seconds ago.

"You had to invite me to your family's cabin and then dump my ass?"

"What?"

"That's what you're doing, right?" She pulled her hands through her hair and crossed her arms over her chest. "Dumping me, here, in the middle of nowhere so that I can lash out on you without people noticing?"

"NO."

"Then what do you mean? Why are we even here?"

"Because I have to tell you the truth and I don't know how or if–"

"Just tell me!" She shrieked, turning to stomp down the porch and heading towards her car.

"I have a ten year old kid!" He bursted out without thinking about the delivery of such news.

Elena stopped dead in her tracks and he closed his eyes. Shit! He gritted his teeth. He wanted to bang his head against the front door; he could have handled the situation a lot smoother but he'd fucked up, as expected.

"What?" She turned to look at him.

"He's not mine." Damon shook his head, confusing himself as well as Elena. "I mean, he's mine but he's not mine, you know? Not really."

"For a lawyer you're very confusing." She crossed her arms once again, eyeing him suspiciously.

* * *

He'd managed to convince her to listen, he'd managed to get her inside. They were currently occupying one of the black couches in the living room. She sipped on a cup of tea he'd made for her earlier and they'd talked for what had felt like hours. Elena barely remembered Katherine but she'd listened to him, asking him questions when she didn't understand. Damon lost track of how many times she'd tried to reassure him that everything would be fine.

"Are you scared?" She asked quietly once they'd been sitting in silence for a while.

"I'm scared shitless." He confirmed, pulled a hand across his face and leaned back against the couch.

"It'll be fine. You'll figure it out."

"I don't know about that. I'm knee deep in shit and I don't know what to do. My parents don't give a shit. I just..." Damon shook his head, sighed heavily. " I should be thinking about what school I want him to go to. I should be contemplating if I have to babyproof my apartment? How much sugar is he allowed to eat, can he brush his own teeth, what's his favorite food? What about insurance? I can't raise a kid, I can barely take care of myself."

"That's not true. Damon, it'll be fine." She tried to assure.

Elena placed her cup on the black cherry side table and put her hand on his bicep. Electricity coursed through him, spreading throughout his veins and entire body as she stroked her fingers up and down his arm. He wanted her so bad, his palms itching with the need to touch her.

"Amidst all of those things," He continued as if not hearing a word she'd just said. "I want you. I want you so badly that I can barely think straight, so bad that I can barely breathe."

"I want you too."

"But–"

"You can have me." Elena said, bold and flushed, her cheeks crimson. "You can have me any way you like."

Fuck. This was what he'd been afraid of. She looked so gorgeous, sitting there, leaning against him, touching his arm, snuggling closer to him, drawn to him like a freaking magnet.

He wanted to seek comfort in her so badly, wanted to sink into her body, find strength in her, rely on her but had to constantly remind himself not to. He still felt as if things were moving too fast. He hadn't cared that much about the age gap between them earlier, he'd actually been on the verge of accepting it but now, with Liam thrown into the mix; talk about double sandwich - and not the nice kind. It was all so fucked up and he didn't know what to do.

"I want you." He said. "But not like this, not here. Not now."

"And now I'm embarrassed." She squeaked, her voice tiny and nervous. She blushed red as a tomato, pulled away from him and started fidgeting with her hands, biting her lower lip.

"No." He said, grabbing her hands. "Don't read too much into it. I want you, okay. Badly, believe me, but I want it to be more than this place can offer us. I want to be with you in my bed. Taking my sweet time with you, exploring your body. Waking up with you."

Wow, he sounded like a chick. Thankfully, Ric wasn't there to hear him as he tried to make Elena swoon. However, it was all true. When they finally reached the point of melting together, he wanted to be able to do it properly, taste her, ravish every inch of her skin without so much as a single doubt in his mind. But, as of right now, he felt torn, worried and stressed - not a good combination for mind blowing sex with Elena.

* * *

 **Thursday, November 25, 2009  
** **ELENA POV**

Things were moving fast, a lot faster than she felt okay with but she wanted Damon; wanted him so much that nothing would get to stand in her way, so… She'd agreed to meet Liam. Damon had felt it necessary to introduce them as soon as possible, wanting to show Elena exactly what she signed up for if they actually decided to go along with their feelings and everything in between.

She was thankful for his sincere honesty but it scared her in a way she couldn't explain. Her parents had no idea what was going on, Caroline had no idea either and even though Elena knew she could talk to her friend if she wanted to - she felt lonely. Alone, frightened and slightly exhilarated at the same time. It was weird.

She was so nervous that her hands trembled as she entered the apartment and Damon pulled her close, placing a kiss on her lips before she'd had the chance to react to his mouth.

She breathed, looking up at him as he closed the door. "I want a do-over."

"Really?" He smirked at her.

It didn't really matter that she'd seen him yesterday, she wanted to grope him, wrap her legs around his waist and have him carrying her to his bedroom. The last time she'd been there, his lips had been pressed firmly against hers as they'd groped each other, dry humping one another. Wow. She shook her head, trying to set the dirty thoughts aside as Damon led her to through the kitchen, continuing to the living room area. She stopped as she noticed the tiny human.

The dark haired boy paused the game and turned around to face them as he noticed he was no longer alone in the living room.

"Liam, this is Elena. She's a friend of mine."

"Friend? HA! Yeah, right. You mean with benefits? I know all about that."

Elena blushed crimson and Damon narrowed his eyes as the young boy snickered at his own words, amused at the blushing color on his uncle's face before returning to his game. Flabbergasted, Damon basically ushered Elena back into the kitchen, pulling a hand across his face, trying to smooth over the situation by silence.

"And you're sure he's not yours?" Elena mimicked quietly, biting her lower lip, trying to hide the smile wanting to take over.

"Positive." Damon said quickly. "My sister is the one who screwed up."

"Screwed up?" She questioned, her arms crossed as she looked over her shoulder, eyeing the boy on the couch. "How can you say that? He's beautiful."

Damon rolled his eyes and put an arm around her waist, pulling her back towards him so that her back pressed firmly against his chest. He nuzzled the crook of her neck, her soft and sweet scent filling his nostrils, causing warmth to spread through his entire body.

"You know," She said, thoughtfully. "He could easily pass as yours. He's a copy of you, Damon. Dark hair, crystal blue eyes and the sassiness… "

"I have no idea what I'm doing." He admitted, hugging her tightly from behind.

"You'll learn along the way."

"Are you sure about this?" He mumbled. "I know that you didn't sign up for... this."

"As long as he doesn't call me mom or aunt I think we'll be fine."

"I'm serious." Damon said and turned her in his arms, facing her, his brow furrowed. "I have to think about Liam, do what's best for him."

"I get that." She nodded fiercely.

"Okay." He whispered.

"I'm just nervous." Elena admitted, her voice shaky as she inhaled deeply.

"So am I."

"We'll be fine."

And at that moment, Elena believed her own words; truly believed that everything would fix itself as long as they pursued one another, however, life wasn't as easy as she wanted it to be. She had no idea what awaited them and fear, sorrow, mistakes and uncertainty would grace their way. She could only hope that they would be able to stand strong as the wave slammed down on top of them - because it undoubtedly would.

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9

**AN** ; Just got out of another rough period caused by my bipolar disorder, but hanging in there.  
Sorry for any mistakes in the text. I just write whenever I feel the flow and manage to get out of bed.

* * *

 **5 YEARS LATER  
**

 **DAMON'S POV  
** **Thursday, February 5, 2014**

Damon put the gun and his badge on the counter and shrugged out of his leather jacket and attempted to rub his eyes. He was tired and annoyed with how his day had proceeded from the minute he'd opened his eyes. He pulled a hand across his face, stretching, trying to figure out whether he was on the verge of sleep or possible starvation. He'd missed lunch due to the new case and he'd been too buried in the extended research and paperwork to actually care about nourishment.

Being a single father hadn't been easy and it wouldn't be any easier as he got home from work every single day and heard the music booming out through the front door. 'Fucking hell', he'd started to think to himself.

He could hear Liam upstairs, hoping the fifteen year old hadn't stirred or caused more trouble in school than last week. Hell, Damon was surprised the kid hadn't been suspended yet. The whole parent thingy had been so difficult. He'd screwed up more times than he could or even would allow to count or even remember. He was far from a perfect uncle, far from a perfect parent - but kids didn't need perfect parents, they needed real ones - or so he'd been told.

He'd struggled, he'd pulled his hair and he'd been so close to giving up completely but somehow, he'd pulled through. Liam tested his patience on a daily basis and they often went head to head, disagreed and fought loudly with one another. Living with and raising a teenager - let alone a boy - at the age of thirty four had never been on his agenda but, life had been thrown at him and he'd accepted it.

Alright, fine, truth be told, he loved the kid, he really did but man, Liam knew how to push his buttons and Damon hated that part of their relationship.

He'd also managed to fuck up everything with _her_ and just the mere thought of it had his heart leaping in his chest. _No._ Not tonight. Damon shook his head, he wouldn't allow himself to let the thought of her and their fallout four years ago ruin the little sanity he still had left.

Instead of yelling Liam's name throughout the house, he did the only thing he could think of and texted him, telling him to get his ass downstairs. Low and behold, ten minutes later the kid finally seated himself at the kitchen island, a boring expression on his face.

"Lost your way?" Damon asked, raising a brow.

"Ha, funny."

"Any homework?"

"Nope."

"Liam." He said sternly.

"What?"

"I've had a rough day so don't test my patience." Damon warned with a tired sigh.

"I can tell, you look like shit."

"Thank you."

Damon tried to hold back the remark he had on the tip of his tongue. The absolute last thing he wanted at the moment, was to fight with Liam. He just wanted to order food, take a shower and fall into bed without any trouble whatsoever.

* * *

"What the heck?" Damon glared at Liam as he noticed the huge amount of food he'd ordered.

"You said, 'order food, I'm starving'." Liam explained.

"Yeah, thing is, you've ordered food for an entire class of body builders."

"Not like you can't afford it." Liam shrugged.

Damon was just about to answer, scold Liam and let him know that he had no intention of handing him any extra money this month, when the front door creaked open. A green eyed man entered the kitchen and pulled a hand through his hair - in what looked like despair and nausea.

"Hey brother." Damon sighed and took a sip from his beer, still glaring at Liam.

"What's with all the food?" Stefan motioned for the kitchen counter, eyeing the pile of Chinese boxes waiting to be opened, the delicious food devoured.

"This little punk," Damon tilted his head to look at the teenager. "Ordered food for an entire football team. Sit down and help us, because I don't think my fridge can handle this amount of Chinese food."

Stefan ruffled Liam's hair and sat down at the kitchen island as Damon handed him a plastic plate with noodles and fried chicken. He raised his eyebrows as he noticed the nervous look on his brother's face. Stefan was usually calm and collected.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Maybe he's high." Liam shrugged his shoulders and shoved food into his mouth.

"Hey." Damon scolded him. "Stef, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost and not the friendly kind."

"Yeah," Liam chuckled, rolling his eyes in amusement. "Because we all know that Casper doesn't–"

"Okay, enough with the sarcasm." Damon waved his hand. "What's wrong?"

"Lenny kicked me out." Stefan gasped and burst into tears.

The teenager and the young man looked at the third person across from them. Liam stopped eating and Damon frowned at his brother's sad face.

"Did he find someone who's a lot more masculine than you? Because that shirt looks like it left Barbie's wardrobe." Liam grinned, trying to lighten the mood in his own weird way.

"Hey! That's enough. Don't talk to your uncle like that." Damon lightly slapped the back of the teenager's head.

"Ow, what the h–"

"Show some respect."

"Oh, come on. Seriously, it's not my fault that he likes to shove his dick in–"

"Liam." Damon raised his voice and glared at his nephew as he handed - his now silently crying brother a beer. "Apologize and go to your room. Now."

"I'm fifteen, not a baby."

"I know, which means it's way past your bedtime."

"That's not fair!"

"Liam." The blue eyed man said sternly. "Do as I say or you have to spend the weekend with grandma and grandpa."

Okay, threatening Liam with his parents wasn't nice but hey, it usually worked like a charm. Liam loathed his grandparents and they weren't fond of him either. Damon rarely talked to them anymore because they'd chosen to walk out on him when he'd been left with his sister's son. He'd been in desperate need of parental guidance but they'd never cared enough to be apart of his or Liam's everyday life. Whatever, it was their loss - or so he told himself.

Stefan was still a permanent part of his life and had been an amazing uncle to Liam throughout the years and Damon was and always would be grateful for that. His brother had stepped up and helped when necessary.

"Oh, you wouldn't." Liam sneered.

Damon raised his eyebrows and sent his nephew a superior look - smirking devilishly. The teenager's face fell instantly - his eyes black. He gulped as he backed out of the kitchen and dared to roll his eyes at Damon before heading up the stairs with heavy footsteps, making sure to stomp his feet.

"Stefan." Damon said as he turned around to meet his brother. "Okay, enough with the tears. You need a drink."

Damon walked across the kitchen and found a bottle of bourbon in one of his cupboards and poured his little bro a double. He watched as Stefan gulped down the liquid. He grimaced and coughed a couple of times before wiping away his tears.

Stefan had always been the emotional one and Damon hated it when his brother cried. Stefan had stepped out of the closet two years ago and no one had been that surprised when he introduced the not so hidden boyfriend he'd been dating in secret for a couple of months. Lenny had taken his brother with storm, had swept Stefan off of his feet, opening his eyes to the world, showing him that life would move on if he just let the prejudices of others go.

Lenny and Stefan had been close, hell, Damon thought they would last forever. His brother loved the man with every fiber of his being - that hadn't been difficult to see. Therefore, Damon was totally perplexed by the news.

"What happened?" Damon asked as he sat down at the kitchen island, eyeing Stefan.

"He decided that he wanted to move on and just, threw me out."

"Doesn't sound like Lenny."

"I know, right? I barely recognized him. He was so… brutal."

"Brutal?" Damon tried not to grimace. "Brutal how? He didn't hit you, did he?"

"What? NO." Stefan shook his head violently. "He wouldn't hit me."

Damon nodded slowly. He agreed with him, Lenny wouldn't hit his brother. Damon had know the man long enough to know that he wasn't the kind of type to lay a hand on someone, intent on causing physical pain.

"Stefan, what happened?"

"I don't know. He..." Stefan trailed off. "He proposed."

"What? He proposed?"

"Yeah."

"I don't understand. He proposed and proceeded to kick you out?" Damon frowned, not knowing what to think.

"I said no, that's why he threw me out." Stefan burst into tears once again.

"Why on earth did you turn him down?" Damon questioned and grimaced at the wailing sound as his brother cried.

"I panicked!"

"Well, apologize."

"He doesn't want to talk to me."

"Lenny loves you. For heaven's sake, Stefan, he proposed to you and you said no. Sorry baby bro, but I don't blame him for lashing out."

"I know." Stefan cried. "Man, what am I supposed to do? How do I fix this?"

"You apologize and then you tell him yes. You want to marry him, don't you?"

"Of course!" Stefan wiped his tears and sipped from his beer, clearly trying to compose himself.

"Then go home and tell him. Seriously, Stefan. If I could go back and change things, there's one thing I would change. I ruined so much four years ago. You can still find your happily ever after, don't let fear hold you back."

* * *

It took about an hour to convince his brother that he needed to go home and fix things with his boyfriend - hopefully, soon to be husband. Damon was happy for Stefan, but just like all the Salvatore men, he had a habit of screwing things up. Damon had screwed up royally four years ago and he'd been so hellbent on changing his life after the incidents that had ruined so much of what had been his life back then. He'd stopped working at the firm.

He'd changed his life. He'd grabbed Liam by the arm, they'd moved and he'd started a new job, working his way towards the promotion he'd been so desperate for. Being a criminal investigator, working as a detective had been exactly what he'd needed. Sure thing, he'd missed seeing Ric at the office every day, but he'd been in need of a change. Law enforcement felt like home, he'd found his calling and had no plans on going back to court.

Moving from his hometown had been the right thing to do. He'd bought a house twenty minutes outside the big city and had felt as if life could finally just be plain and simple as long as Liam tried to make it work in school. Sure, there had been ups and downs but they'd managed to build a home together. It might lack the lovey dovey shit but whatever.

Damon shook his head as he headed up the stairs, intent on talking to Liam before going to bed. They had some stuff that needed to be discussed sooner rather than later.

"Hey." Damon said before opening the door, not bothering to knock before entering.

Liam was sprawled out on his bed but sat up as Damon sat down on the armchair in the left corner. He had to push some of the clothes to the side in order to actually sit his ass down but, he had a mission - he could scold Liam for the dirty laundry later. The kid was fifteen, he knew how to wash his clothes.

"Don't you know how to knock?"

"No." Damon replied as he eyed him.

Despite the fact that Liam wasn't his biological son - Damon could easily see a part of himself in Liam. The blue eyes were only a simple recognition that blood and DNA related the two to each other. Liam had the Salvatore-fire burning in his personality and there was no question that he would grow up to be a handsome man one day. Unfortunately, he'd inherited the smirk and constantly witty mouth - that also came with the Salvatore-DNA.

"I know that you stopped by the station yesterday."

"So?"

"If there's anything you want to know about your mom, you could just ask." Damon said. "Trying to get private files on her case is not the way to go."

"You don't get it."

"What don't I get? Come on, Liam. Tell me. What are you looking for? And why do you need to dig into a case that the police closed two years ago?"

"I'm trying to find my dad."

Damon flinched at the sentence, staring at Liam as if someone had just dropped a bomb in the room - honestly, it kind of felt like someone had.

"You're trying to find your dad?"

"Yeah." Liam nodded, ruffling his hair the same way Damon did when feeling stressed. "I didn't know where else to look. I thought maybe… I don't know what I thought."

"Look, I know that we butt heads and that, most of the time, we don't get along but it was your mother's choice." Damon said slowly, clasping his hands, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Your mom didn't want anyone to know anything about your father. She never mentioned him, didn't leave any kind of information that we could use to find him."

"That doesn't mean it's impossible to find him."

"Katherine didn't want you to find him. If she'd wanted you to know him," Damon paused briefly. "She would've left clues but she didn't. I take that as a sign. She never wanted us to figure it out. She never wanted us to know."

"And how do you know that?" Liam questioned, irritation ringing in his voice.

"I'm just doing what she wanted, trying to keep you safe from whatever she fled from. I'm granting her last wish, it would be rude not to."

"And?"

"And we have to respect that."

"Why, because she's dead?" Liam snarled, the former irritation growing to anger.

Damon clenched his jaw, trying to regain some of his focus. His deceased sister was a touchy subject to say the least. He didn't like talking about Katherine. It hurt and he didn't really know how to deal with any of it. He hadn't cried the way Liam and Stefan had; he'd gathered his emotions and he'd shut them off, had refused to let them overpower him.

They'd received the news of Katherine's death two years ago. Liam had been thirteen and Damon still remembered the face the young boy had made once he realized she wasn't coming back for him - ever. Damon had wanted to comfort him but Liam had pulled away, crying in his room for Damon to hear whenever her passed by at night.

Fuck, just thinking about it had his intestines aching. He tried to think straight, diving into the discussion instead of letting his emotions conquer his heart.

"What if my dad wants to see me?" Liam raised his eyebrows, challenging his uncle.

"You're fifteen, if he'd wanted to find you don't you think he would've by now?"

"What if he didn't even know my mom was pregnant?"

The thought had crossed Damon's mind too but Katherine had explained the situation in a very well detailed letter that Liam didn't know of yet. Hell, he would never know the letter existed because Damon had burned it, just like he'd been instructed.

"And what if your mother wanted to keep it that way?"

"I want to find him."

"That's not a decision you're old enough to make. Besides," Damon huffed, standing up. "Where would we even find a clue to who he is? Liam, your mother wrote specifically not to try to contact your biological father. She didn't even leave us his name."

"Just because it seems impossible," Liam said. "Doesn't mean it can't be achieved."

Suddenly taken aback, Damon blinked a couple of times as he recognized the words his sister had once used to persuade him to follow his dreams. Shit! Some days, Liam reminded him painfully much of his deceased sister - so much that it hurt to look at the teenager. Maybe that was the main reason as to why they constantly fought with one another? They rarely got along.

"Do you really want to find your biological father? It could lead to a lot of things - things you might not be ready to face yet."

"Like what?"

"He might not be what you expect or he might not even be able to track at all. Liam, the chance to find him is one in a million. It would take a lot of time, dedication, hope and strength to go on a journey like that."

"So what, you forbid me?" He chuckled.

Damon looked at him and shrugged as if the question wasn't even pronounced. "What do you think?"

"Do you forbid me to search for him?"

"Yes."

At that, Liam froze, staring at his uncle, frowning. "Why? You can't do that."

"I'm your legal guardian and that means that I literally have the right to do what I believe is the best thing for you."

* * *

"Hey, have you heard anything about MJ at your school?" Damon asked as he leaned against the counter the next morning, sipping on his coffee, eyeing Liam. The dark hair, the posture, overall features, the blue eyes and slightly eerie mannerisms that mirrored so many of his own had him biting his tongue. The likeness between them were uncanny sometimes, he could admit that. He took another sip of his coffee.

"What's MJ?" Liam yawned, pulling a hand through his disheveled hair.

"Mary Jane?"

"Who the fuck's Mary Jane?"

Damon wanted to roll his eyes at the slow process in Liam's head, but deep down, he was happy that he obviously didn't understand the nickname so he decided to make it easy for him. He knew the teenager wasn't a morning person and never had been, so the confusion in his squinting eyes caused Damon to try to hide his grin.

"Marijuana?"

"Oh, you mean pot? Could've just said so." Liam sneered, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Whatever, have you heard anything?"

"About what?"

"Do you think," Damon emphasized the words and spoke slowly and aloud, gesturing as he carried on. "That there's anyone selling at school?"

"Drugs? Or pot in general?"

"Both."

"I don't think so." Liam gulped down a huge amount of coffee, spitting it out the moment he realized it was too damn hot to swallow.

Damon choked on his own little sip and laughed at Liam's misery as the teen glared at him.

"Do you need a ride to school?" He asked, knowing very well that Liam would refuse and turn down his offer.

"No."

"Fine. Well, I'm working late so behave and all that."

"Sure. You too." Liam nodded.

* * *

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